Awareness on Human Trafficking key during 16 Days closure

17 December 2009

Human trafficking was the bone of contention during the closure of a
provincial 16 Days of Activism campaign on No Violence Against Women and
Children at Indwe in the Chris Hani District Municipality.

Human or child trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer
or harbouring of children for the purposes of sexual exploitation, organ
removal, child labour and other forms that are related to those. The
Department, as the champion of this campaign decided to take the closing
event to Indwe because of a concerning rate of human trafficking in that
area. Six cases of human trafficking on girls aged between sixteen and
twenty have since been reported to the Department. The victims have
since been reunited with their families through the intervention by the
Department, working together with South African Police Service.

It is understood that signs of human trafficking are not widely known in
the province, particularly in Indwe. So the Department went to that area
to raise maximum awareness about this inhuman practice. Job promises are
understood to be the common method that is been used by the traffickers
to lure their victims.

Minister of Social Development Mrs Edna Molewa, accompanied by MEC, Ms
Nonkosi Mvana was the keynote addressor during the event. "Through the
National Crime Prevention Strategy, we explicitly condemn any form of
violence inflicted on women and children, because we consider such acts
of violence and abuse as a violation of human dignity and human rights,"
Minister said. She also added that violence against women was a global
development issue, a dangerous driver of the HIV epidemic, disintegrated
families and retarded our country's development.

Issued by: Department of Social Development, Eastern Cape Provincial
Government
17 December 2009
Source: Department of Social Development, Eastern Cape Provincial
Government (http://www.socdev.ecprov.gov.za/)