Gauteng Social Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza welcomed the rescue of five girls (aged between 14 and 19 years) on May 19. The girls were used as sex slaves in Springs.
According to Captain Thivhulawi Tshilate (spokesperson of SAPS Ekurhuleni East Cluster), four of the girls are from Balfour and one from Kwa-Thema.
Springs police acted on a tip-off about a 42-year old Nigerian national who kept young girls as sex slaves. He was arrested on charges of human trafficking, possession of drugs, and possession of pornographic materials.
Mayathula-Khoza said the girls were now placed in the care of the Gauteng Department of Social Development and that they were being provided with the necessary support to piece their lives together.
“These developments are a welcome contribution in our fight against human trafficking. It has become one of the biggest organised crimes in the world. Its effect has been felt in all areas of the globe as it is one of the hardest crimes to detect and prevent. Trafficking of children especially girls has grown immensely. This growth has been linked to several social issues, two of which are unemployment and poverty; hence most of the alleged victims are people who come from underprivileged homes.
“One of the tools that the government uses is the new Human Trafficking Act, which was implemented and became operational on August 9, 2015. This act makes it possible to deal with this crime more effectively. It provides for severe sentencing for convicted traffickers. It helps the Department of Social Development to eradicate modern-day slavery, by enabling the state to prosecute traffickers and confiscate their assets. The act gives South African courts extra-territorial jurisdiction, an important factor in tackling the crime head-on,” Mayathula-Khoza concluded.
