US pastor arrested for trafficking Swazi woman

SITEKI – A Swazi woman was trafficked to the United States of America under the guise that she would cater for the wedding of a son of a USA based pastor.

Thembi Dlamini left Swaziland in 2005 after being promised a two week catering job for the wedding of the couple’s son. However, she was made to work for 20 hours on a daily basis without pay.

It is alleged that Dlamini had been informed that she would cater for the wedding of the couple’s son which, however, did not take place.

Dlamini was trafficked to the USA by Pastor Juna Gwendolyn Babb, 56, and Michael Babb, 54.
Her case, according to a publication in the USA, Atlanta Journal Constitution, has been one of the most recent cases that have revealed that modern day slavery does exist.

The pastor and the husband pleaded guilty to the charges of trafficking and were sentenced. Juna Babb was sentenced to two years in federal prison. Michael received a six-month sentence.

Suing

 Dlamini is now suing the pastor and her husband for monetary damages.
AJC.COM reported last Friday that Thembi Dlamini, 37, has filed a lawsuit in an American district court against Pastor Juna Gwendolyn Babb, 56, and Michael Babb, 54.
The publication reported that the two lured Dlamini to Georgia (USA) by promising her a two-week catering job which never materialised.

Upon reaching the USA, the publication reported that the pastor and her husband confiscated Dlamini’s passport and further forced her to work as a housekeeper for two years.
It was reported that the pastor and her husband were later arrested in 2009 and they pleaded guilty to human trafficking when they appeared in court.
“The couple was ordered to pay Dlamini US$25 000 (about E252 500) in restitution,” the publication reported.

However, despite the court ordering the couple to pay Dlamini US$25 000, Dlamini is demanding more.
“Her lawyer says she has only received a small fraction of that and deserves much more,” the publication said.

Dlamini’s attorney and partner at the Kilpatrick Townsend law firm, Audra Dial, was quoted as saying: “She virtually worked 20 hours a day.
“We want to get her the fair value of all the work she performed, probably hundreds of thousands of US Dollars.”

The publication further reported that, according to the lawsuit, the couple forced Dlamini to take care of their grandson every day, to clean, cook, and keep up their lawn.
It was, however, not stated in the report how much Dlamini is demanding.

Pleas

Meanwhile, during the couple’s pleas shortly before the US court passed sentence last April, a US attorney (Prosecutor), Sally Quillian Yates, made this submission: “This case reminds us that morden-day slavery is occurring in our communities. This young woman believed that she was travelling to the United States for a brief visit to help with a wedding.

“Instead, she was forced to work for the defendant for more than two years. It is especially disturbing that the victim was exploited by a minister and her husband.”

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