Xolani Koyana
TWO Chinese women facing 13 charges, including human trafficking, appeared in the Parow Regional Court yesterday.
Cheng yong Zhang, 39, and Lian Ying Lu, 34 made a brief appearance at the court where they face 13 charges, including human trafficking for sexual purposes, violation of the immigration act, keeping a brothel, assault and kidnapping.
They were not asked to plead nor were they read their charges. The two were arrested when members of the city’s vice squad raided their massage parlour in Marais Street, Goodwood in February.
They allegedly lured two Chinese women, aged 25 and 29, into South Africa, promising them positions in a reputable company with monthly salaries up to R50 000.
Police found the women tied with nylon straps. They told police they were forced to work as prostitutes and on arrival were informed by the brothel manager that they would regularly be subjected to such acts.
The women said they were raped on the night they arrived in Cape Town.
They are being kept in a place of safety.
Zhang and Ying Lu are out on R5 000 bail each since their first appearance in February at the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court where the case was heard several times.
It was their first appearance at the Parow Regional Court.
Before the court case started yesterday, the two were seen taking pictures of each other with their cellphone while waiting for an interpreter.
Their brothel was one of 10 in the greater Cape Town area which police raided and found women forced into prostitution after being trafficked into the country.
According to the Hawks’ human trafficking division, they found evidence of this at brothels in Goodwood, Bellville, Parow, Wynberg, Claremont and Cape Town.
Chinese, Ukrainian and South African woman were rescued and taken to places of safety.
Yesterday, prosecutor Maria Marshall requested their bail be extended while the State and the defence finalised their cases.
Magistrate Else Van Zyl extended their bail application and warned them to return to the court in two weeks.
Van Zyl remanded the case to June 23.