Ethiopian national in court after alleged kidnapping of 12 half-naked young adults in Joburg
An Ethiopian man arrested by the Hawks in Johannesburg earlier this week has been charged with 12 counts of kidnapping and one count of failing to stop on police instruction.
Police confirmed that the 12 individuals found at his property were not teenagers, as initially reported, but young adults between the ages of 22 and 33.
“The medical assessment has since established that the 12 weren’t necessarily teenagers as previously reported but young adults between the ages of 22 and 33,” said police spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale.
The man was initially accused of human trafficking after police discovered him “harbouring 12 half-naked alleged teenage boys” at a Johannesburg property on Tuesday.
He appeared in Booyzen’s Magistrate’s Court on Friday, January 9, 2026, after his case was postponed the previous day to allow the court to secure an Amharic interpreter.
His case has now been postponed to January 14, 2026, to allow him to obtain legal representation and for a possible bail application.
“He has been charged with 12 counts of kidnapping and one count of failing to stop on police instruction,” Mogale said.
Following the suspect’s court appearance, the 12 young adults also appeared in court facing charges of being illegal in the country.
Their case has been postponed to January 15, 2026, for possible guilty pleas.
All parties involved have been remanded in custody pending their next court appearances.
IOL News