16 Dec 2014

Francistown magistrate court has found two Zimbabwean men guilty of entering and aiding 13 children to illegally enter Botswana through an ungazetted entry point.

Principal Magistrate Thebeetsile Mulalu convicted the duo, Innocent Ncube (30) and Themba Ndlovu-Gumbo (28) on 14 counts each of entering and aiding 13 children to illegally enter the country through an ungazetted entry point.

The duo, who had no legal representation, pleaded guilty to all the 14 counts after they were recently nabbed by the Botswana police during a night patrol.

They were found transporting 13 Zimbabwean children in a Botswana registered minibus and it was alleged that they were on transit to South Africa where the children were to meet their parents.

According to the facts read to the two accused persons in court on December 15, all the 13 children aged between three and 13 years were not in possession of traveling documents and the accused aided them to enter Botswana through an ungazetted entry point.

The case will continue on December 19 when it is expected that Mr Mulalu will sentence the two men. The state counsel in the case is Mr Gasemotho Pitlagano. ENDS