MEC speaks out on government’s fight against human trafficking
On Sunday, Gauteng Social Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza welcomed the rescue of five girls, aged between 14 and 19, who were allegedly used as sex slaves, in Springs.
Springs police, acted on a tip-off on Friday about a man who kept young girls as sex slaves in Eighth Street, in the CBD, and arrested a 42-year-old Nigerian for human trafficking, possession of drugs and possession of pornographic material.
The girls have been placed in the care of the Gauteng Department of Social Development and are being provided with the necessary support to piece their lives back together, says Mayathula-Khoza.
“This arrest is a welcome contribution to our fight against human trafficking.
“It has become one of the biggest organised crimes in the world and its effects are widespread as it is one of the hardest crimes to detect and prevent.
“The trafficking of children, especially girls, has increased immensely.”
• Read: Springs sex den update: Man (42) and woman (19) accused of human trafficking
Mayathula-Khoza says this increase is linked to several social issues, including unemployment and poverty, which is why many victims are from underprivileged backgrounds.
“The Human Trafficking Act, which came into effect on August 9, 2015, makes it possible to deal with this crime more effectively and it provides for severe sentences for convicted traffickers,” she says.
“It also assists 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.”
To strengthen the initiative, Mayathula-Khoza adds, the Gauteng Government has developed an anti-trafficking task team made up of the Department of Social Development, the Department of Health, the Department of Community Safety, the Department of Education, the National Prosecuting Authority and the SAPS.
• Also read: SPRINGS: Sex slave den bust in CBD
“This group of government departments trains the community and non-governmental organisations to identify victims and know how to help them.
“Those identified as victims of human trafficking are placed in specialised shelters funded by the Department of Social Development.
“These individuals are assessed and placed under the care of a social worker and psychologist, because these victims, in most cases, are drug-dependent and have been sexually or physically abused,” says Mayathula-Khoza.
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