Three Northern Cape men were rescued after they were allegedly trafficked and sold to an Athlone tavern owner for R700 each.
The Hawks confirmed that two men have been arrested and charged with human trafficking.
McGyver Afrika, Sergio Sayers and José de Vries were brought to Cape Town on Friday night after being contacted by a “recruiter” to work in the Mother City.
The young men say they are originally from Colesberg and were sukkeling to find work in their hometown.
McGyver, 22, says he was contacted by his cousin, a domestic worker in Cape Town, who said a man was looking for four men and one woman for a business.
“We were not sure what they wanted us to do but we got into contact with the man, who told us that he will arrange transport and everything,” McGyver explains.
The three men packed their bags and got onto a bus but when they arrived on Friday, the recruiter took McGyver and Sergio, 21, to a tavern in Athlone where they were told to pack beers, clean floors and do general household cleaning.
“We didn’t even sleep in a room. It was a single bed under an afdakkie covered with a net.
“Me and McGyver shared the bed. We did not eat for a whole day, only Saturday night they gave us a gatsby,” says Sergio.
José, 21, says there was no job for him and he was taken to a house in Grassy Park by the recruiter.
He became suspicious on Saturday when he overheard a conversation between the tavern owner and the recruiter.
“I heard them say he paid R700 each for us to come here and so I realised we were sold,” he says.
“I contacted my father on Colesberg and he went to the police.
“They contacted the police (Athlone SAPS) and a man came to fetch us.
“We just want to go home and can’t believe they would sell people.”
He says after the recruiter heard McGyver and Sergio wanted to leave, he took him (José) to Athlone.
José says when he realised what was happening he also decided to leave.
Bu the tavern owner told them they could leave only if they paid him R700 each.
A 43-year-old man from Hanover Park says he was part of a WhatsApp group started by the Parktown and Sonneblom neighbourhood watches when he heard about the case.
On Sunday, accompanied by cops, they went to extract the men from the tavern.
When the Daily Voice arrived at Athlone SAPS on Sunday, the trio were devouring a pizza bought by their rescuer and were waiting for members of the Hawks’ Serious Crime Investigation Unit to arrive.
Hawks spokesperson, Captain Philani Nkwalase, says the recruiter and the Athlone businessman, both aged 63, were arrested on Monday.
“The recruiter and the purchaser were arrested. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the victims were forced to do hard labour and stayed in unhealthy conditions. Their pleas to return home were met with resistance as they were told to first pay back the cost.”
He says the suspects were charged with human trafficking and are to appear in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court today.
Nkwalase says what happened to the young men is a form of debt bondage where young people are recruited and sold off and are immediately in debt with their new employers for transport costs.
“There is no proper job recruitment and they are often not told what work they will do. When they get to their destination they are already in debt for transport and then work to cover living costs. This case has all the marks of human trafficking.”