Girl, 14, tells of ordeal

Komani court hears story of alleged human trafficking by 4 women

A 14-year-old alleged human trafficking victim from Whittlesea has told the Komani regional court how she was allegedly prostituted by four women to different men in 2016.

The Grade 9 pupil was testifying on Tuesda in-camera in a trial against Xolelwa Garhishe, Yolanda Klaas, Zintle Tom and Nwabisa Kaziwa who are accused of human trafficking. Harun Mohamed faces a charge of statutory rape, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

The alleged victim said the accused forced her to sleep with different men. She testified that Kaziwa threatened to assault and kill her if she did not want to follow the instruction.

In October 2016, she met the four accused when she went to her sister’s friend’s house. “They told me to wash, forced me to go to town to a foreign national in his flat,” she said.

She testified that at the flat, Garhishe, Tom and Kaziwa left her with the man who allegedly raped her.

“I was afraid and shivering. He undressed me and inserted a condom in his urinating part and inserted it in mine. I was crying until he finished what he did. I then dressed and got out of the house while the three were waiting for me at the gate,” she said.

The teenager said they went back to her sister’s friend’s house and Klaas asked Garhishe how everything went. Garhishe allegedly just winked as a sign of approval.

“Garhishe made another phone call and we went back to the same flats where we met another foreign national. They met with him outside and when he got back he asked me my age and I told him. He told me he cannot sleep with me as I was still a child,” said the alleged victim.

She said she went outside and told Garhishe what had happened.

“She took me to the foreign national and told him that I was lying as I am 19 years old.

“The foreign national then took me inside, locked the door, undressed me and raped me. We went back to the house and slept,” said the victim she said.

She said she told Klaas that she wanted to go home.

“The following day, I managed to escape and go home. I did not report the matter to my grandmother as I was afraid of telling her,” she said.

She said after hearing that the four accused were looking for her, she then went back to them fearing that they will beat or kill her when they saw her again.

The girl will continue her testimony on Wednesday.

The accused were arrested by the Hawks in October last year.

She testified Kaziwa threatened to assault and kill her if she did not listen to them