As the global community continues to grapple with the unprecedented social, economic and health challenges occasioned by Covid-19, we need to devote equal attention to a different – often hidden – pandemic that lurks in the shadows.
Trafficking in persons, also known as human trafficking, is a despicable violation of human rights that tears at the social fabric of our young democracy.
Under the United Nations’ Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (Palermo Protocol, of which SA is a signatory), human trafficking is defined as the “recruitment, transporting, provision, or obtaining of a person for labour or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, slavery or forced commercial sex acts”.
The two most common forms of human trafficking are forced labour and sex trafficking that disproportionately affect women and girls across the globe. This is indicative of the gendered-nature of this crime as women and girls are trafficked mainly for sexual exploitation, forced prostitution and domestic servitude. This is also indicative of the intersection between human trafficking and gender-based violence.
To confront this heinous crime head on, protect its survivors and those who are vulnerable as well as bring perpetrators to justice, we need the whole-of-government and society approach.
With this in mind, the department of social development, at both national and provincial levels, joined efforts with various partner organisations, chief amongst them the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, generally known as the Hawks, to conduct an outreach and awareness programme in Noupoort and Colesberg, which have been identified as human trafficking hot spots and transits as they connect Northern Cape to the Eastern Cape, Free State and Western Cape.
The outreach resulted in the arrest of two suspects in connection with an alleged human trafficking and prostitution syndicate operating between Sandton in Gauteng and Upington in the Northern Cape. During the arrest, three women aged between 19 and 24 were rescued. It is alleged that victims were lured from Upington and forced into prostitution.
Arrests such as these do not happen by chance, but are driven by intensive operations by our law enforcement agencies to combat and prevent human trafficking. It also forms part of government’s effort to step up the fight against human trafficking, while strengthening the protection of victims.
As is often the case, perpetrators of human trafficking prey on the poor and vulnerable from impoverished communities under false pretences of lucrative job offers and opportunities to travel the world.
Through the implementation of the Prevention and Combating Trafficking in Persons Act (Act No. 7 of 2013), we are making inroads into tackling this scourge throughout the country. To date, a number of suspects have already appeared in various courts across SA to answer for their evil deeds while others have been imprisoned for human trafficking and related charges.
For instance, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria sentenced Angelo Mulambo to 22 years imprisonment in November last year for human trafficking, rape, kidnapping and abetting a person to be in the country illegally.
The success of our interventions are dependent to a large extent on a concerted national effort to prevent and disrupt human trafficking networks and syndicates that operate within and beyond our borders. These interventions are directed at addressing the multidimensional aspects of human trafficking, starting with tackling the root causes of women and girls’ vulnerability as well as increasing public awareness and understanding on the matter.
Given its complexity and cross-cutting nature, coordination of efforts and initiatives of all key players is central to strengthening prevention, protection of survivors and prosecution of perpetrators of human trafficking because no single department or government entity can successfully combat this pandemic on its own.
The work of the national task team, a multi-sectoral forum, is critical in bringing all key partners to the table to share information, expertise and resources to combat all forms of human trafficking.
The team, which consists of the departments of justice and constitutional development, home affairs, social development, the National Prosecuting Authority, the SA Police Service, civil society and international organisations, is also working with the provinces to revive both the provincial and district human trafficking response teams. Through the activities of the task team, coordination and integration of services between the various role players in providing victim support services is being improved.
As we commemorate Women’s Month, we should renew our resolve to confront this shadow pandemic in all its forms as it denies women and girls their fundamental human rights to freedom, dignity and to live in violence-free communities.
It is our collective responsibility to work together to build safer communities in which women and girls are and feel safe as envisaged in the National Development Plan Vision 2030.
-Zulu is minister of social development
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