S. Africa Hospital Guilty of Organ Trafficking

South African police say a hospital has pleaded guilty in an organ trafficking case, including to removing organs from five minors between 2001 and 2003.

South African police spokesman Col. Vishnu Naidoo said Wednesday that Netcare KwaZulu, a hospital in South Africa's eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, will pay 7,820,000 rand ($1.1 million) in fines.

Netcare spokeswoman Martina Nicholson said Tuesday that the state had withdrawn charges after the hospital pleaded guilty to accepting payments for kidney donors and removing kidneys from minors.

There is a high demand for kidney transplants, but small supply of the organ, which can be taken from a living donor. Netcare operates hospitals across South Africa, among them some of the continent's most respected facilities.