A CHINESE woman last Friday appeared before the Gweru Magistrates’ Courts facing charges of contravening a section of the Immigration Act which prohibits foreigners from seeking employment without a work permit.
STEPHEN CHADENGA OWN CORRESPONDENT
Liu Yan, whose residential address was given as 45 Ceres Road, Prospect, Waterfalls, Harare, allegedly sought employment as an interpreter at a Chinese-owned gold processing plant without a work permit.
Yan, who appeared before provincial magistrate Pathekile Msipa denied the charges, saying she had only offered to interpret to immigration officials since she was the only Chinese at the site who could understand English.
But immigration officials who raided the premises testified in court that Yan had told them that she worked at the company as an interpreter.
The trial continues on March 11.
Prosecuting, Munyaradzi Guvheya told the court that Yan entered the country as a dependent of Wang Decai and was issued with a permit which did not allow her to seek employment in the country.
The State further alleges that on February 19, officials from the Gweru immigration office were on routine compliance checks on foreigners employed in the Zhombe area in the Midlands province.
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The immigration officers visited Yuahang gold processing plant, where they asked to see the company management.
Yan came out of the company offices and produced work permits of other Chinese nationals, but failed to produce her own.
She was arrested and taken to Gweru Central Police Station.
