Human trafficking also rife in Vhembe, community told

On Thursday, 11 August, representatives of various government sectors and organisations gathered at the Nancefield Community Hall in Musina to discuss human trafficking, which is becoming a growing concern in the region.

The Department of Justice, South African Police Service, South African Defence Force, Department of Home Affairs, Lawyers for Human Rights, Department of Social Development, Musina Legal Advice Centre, the taxi industry, Outreach Foundation, Red Cross, and other stakeholders attended the discussions.

“Human trafficking is a criminal activity that is currently rife. It comes second to drugs and weapons; hence we want to make the Musina community aware of this. Every financial year we, as an anti-human-trafficking forum, meet to come up with a programme of action. One of the listed programmes was to address Musina residents and sensitise the entire community to human trafficking; what the community should do and where to report it, should they notice any suspicious activities,” said Mr Motsei Kgosiemang from the Department of Justice.

The day before, the forum visited some of the schools around Musina to make children aware of human trafficking.  Lt Col Lyborn Sivhagi from the Hawks advised learners (and the general public) on precautions to be taken to avoid falling victim to human trafficking, such as not to be tempted by promises of a well-paid job far from home; to be wary of people who offer jobs that promise a large sum of money in a short period of time, and to speak to their parents, teachers, or any trusted family member or friend first when such opportunities are offered. Sivhagi warned the children to be very wary of adults who attempt to befriend them through social media, and always let someone know about their whereabouts.

The public are advised to report any suspicious activities that might be related to human trafficking to the nearest police station, phone the SAPS Crime Stop number on 08600 10111, or the Human Trafficking Resource on 0800 222 777.

News in brief - Date: 20 August 2022

Bernard Chiguvare

Bernard Chiguvare is a Zimbabwean-born journalist. He writes mainly for the online publication, Groundup.

Email: [email protected]