South African police said on Thursday they had rescued 44 Ethiopian nationals, 17 of them minors, who were being held against their will in an upscale neighbourhood of Johannesburg.
The incident is the latest in a string of human-trafficking cases in Africa’s most industrialised nation, a magnet for undocumented migrants from across the continent.
Officers on patrol were alerted to the discovery by screams coming from the house in Sandton, spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo told journalists.
Waiting for an interpreter
“We found that there were 44 illegal immigrants that were locked in rooms,” he confirmed.
“Seventeen of them were minors”, he added.
“We are still waiting for an interpreter that will help us get more information from them,” Masondo said.
In March, dozens of young Ethiopian adults and children who were also allegedly held captive in a suburban house in Johannesburg escaped, with police finding 32.
It was not immediately clear if the two cases were connected.
In January, police rescued 26 undocumented Ethiopians found naked and without documents in Johannesburg, held by suspected traffickers.
Last August, more than 80 were discovered locked in a house in inhumane conditions in another suburb of the city.
Have you ever suspected a house in your area had dodgy dealings going on inside?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
