Chinese National Jailed 18 Years

A Chinese man living in Harare has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted of illegally dealing in rhino horns and ivory.

Harare Magistrates’ Court found 57-year-old Cong Yanzhong guilty on two counts of unlawful wildlife trade following his arrest in July.

Detectives received a tip-off on 16 July 2025 and tracked Cong who was spotted carrying a satchel and a carrier bag matching the description given by an informant.

When searched, he was found in possession of three shrink-wrapped rhinoceros horns weighing 7.7kg and valued at around US$240,000.

A subsequent search of his home uncovered four pieces of raw ivory weighing 36.15kg and worth more than US$6,000.

Cong failed to produce the required permits or licences and was taken into custody.

Magistrates handed down an effective 18-year jail term.

Conservation groups have long warned that illegal wildlife trafficking threatens endangered species, particularly rhinos and elephants, across southern Africa.

Meanwhile, The High Court in Johannesburg has sentenced seven Chinese nationals to an effective 20 years in prison for running a factory where workers were treated inhumanely. Their company, Beautiful City, was also fined R300,000.

The case dates back to a 2019 government inspection of the Village Deep factory, which produced cotton sheets.

Authorities found that the majority of the staff were illegal immigrants, mostly from Malawi, including some as young as 15, who were subjected to “horrific” working conditions.

The seven defendants, Kevin Tsao Shu-Uei, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying, and Zhang Zhilian, had earlier been convicted in February this year on 160 charges.

They were found guilty of human trafficking, aiding and facilitating human trafficking, bonded labour, benefiting from victims of trafficking, assisting illegal immigrants to remain in South Africa, failing to register with the Compensation Fund, keeping inaccurate records of earnings, failing to submit returns, neglecting to pay and declare assessments, maintaining unsafe workplaces and various other labour law violations.