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Thandeka Moyo Court Reporter
THE State has finally found an interpreter for the trial of 12 Ethiopian illegal immigrants recently caught hiding in Bulawayo’s Emganwini suburb.Bulawayo Magistrate Abednico Ndebele confirmed the availability of the interpreter yesterday ahead of the trial today.
“An interpreter has been found to help us get on with trial as soon as possible. I wish your case was concluded a long time ago but the State was failing to get an interpreter,” said Ndebele.
The group reportedly walked for nine months fleeing civil strife in their country to seek refuge in Zimbabwe and have spent the past 78 days in remand prison.
They were caught hiding at a house in Emganwini on December, 4, 2013 and since then no interpreter who understands their Amhari language could be availed as only one of them understands English.
The 12 men had begged the court to grant them refugee status citing civil unrest in their home country. Sintha Makoro, 24, Landabo Gezacho, 23, Marcos Fikiru, 24, Aeshm Negesh, 27, Darrilo Teshale, 25, Getahun Demeke, 29, Desalegn Elther, 26, Zerll Angela, 24, Gobana Esheku 25, Bosor Deigif, 27, Sedebo Simon, 26, and Dunago Desta, 22, all signed an admission of guilt letter which was read in court on February, 5 2014.
“This letter serves as an admission of guilt and request for refugee status. There is a social and political unrest in the region where we come from,” they said.
“We pray for help because our lives are under threat. We fled to this country because of this and we walked for nine months on the road looking for a stable environment. We therefore seek state assistance in solving our problem.”
Online Reporter