HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON THE RISE IN SOUTH AFRICA

Human Trafficking is on the rise in South Africa as the slave trade of human beings continues rampant across the globe.

Despite slavery being abolished since the 1830s, the heinous act of stealing and selling children, babies, woman and men for profit and power continues to make an indelible mark in South Africa and around the world.

Bianca van Aswegen‚ for NGO Missing Children SA‚ said that abductions are on the up and only 1% of child trafficking victims were ever found.
“Kidnappings have been on the increase and we have seen that in our own numbers. This has also become synonymous with ransom demands‚” she said. “Not only girls are vulnerable but boys are in danger as well. Whether or not trafficking is at the heart of each kidnapping is difficult to say and we would have to look at it on a case-to-case basis‚” she added.

“They [trafficked children] are often used in this country as prostitutes or slaves or they cross borders for the same purpose. To say the least it is a grim life is an understatement and only 1% of human trafficking victims are ever found and that is incredibly sad.
“People should never wait 24 hours before reporting and this window is the most crucial when anyone goes missing. People still think they need to wait and that should never be the case‚” she added.

Recently, a boy from Durban by the name of Miguel Louw was about to take his usual walk home from school, which was located just five minutes, away when a 44-year old man, who had been an acquaintance of the Louw family, waited for Miguel to finish school on the afternoon of July 17th. Louw never returned home. According to Miguel's grandmother‚ Arlene Paul‚ CCTV footage placed Miguel at a KFC next door to his house with a man‚ who had been an acquaintance of the family for about two weeks‚ on the day of his disappearance. Since then, only recently have the Police found a body which is believed to be Miguel Louw.

Police are also investigating the disappearance of Mfundo Hlope who disappeared from his home in the Mfekaye Reserve in northern KZN as well as 15-year-old, Nomphumelelo Campbell, who has disappeared from her school in Ladysmith.