There are not a lot of statistics available due to how people approach the crime, it’s a very taboo subject as people do not want to talk about human trafficking.
Local human trafficking activist and leader of the Global Trafficking Hub Movement in SA, Romita Hanuman, stated that the 16 Days of Activism campaign is important in her life of work, highlighting that traffickers normally use violence to get victims to submit to their demands.
She said, “There are not a lot of statistics available due to how people approach the crime, it’s a very taboo subject as people do not want to talk about human trafficking.”
Hanuman explained that South Africa is a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking, meaning that girls and boys are brought into the country and taken out concurrently. They are trafficked from other cities, provinces and countries.
The four main human trafficking hubs in SA in no particular order are Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Bloemfontein. Victims are used for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labour.
She stated that forced marriages are also a form of human trafficking if you go against someone’s human right especially if there’s a signed contract and the exchange of money.
When the activist was asked what the main cause for human trafficking in the country is, she responded, “It’s normally females looking for job prospects without doing thorough research on the job. When they get to the interview, the victim’s ID is taken away and they are stripped of their identities.”
She said that women are also human traffickers. When asked what women can do to empower themselves to avoid being trafficked or becoming victims of GBH, Hanuman said, “Recognise the signs, if you see something’s not right, it’s probably not right. Don’t just go blindly into a relationship thinking the situation will change. If you’re a victim, you must speak about it either to your parent, relative or any other organisation closest that can assist.” Hanuman strongly believes that a person who loves you won’t abuse you and if abuse is involved victims must act fast.
“Women need to be aware, do proper research before going to an interview to ensure you are safe. Always tell someone where you are at all times,” she said.
Hanuman also advised parents to monitor their children’s social media accounts to ensure that the child stays within a safe and protected environment. Interestingly, gaming has become a channel traffickers use to target children through the new chat function and parents are advised to monitor this closely.
She advised people not to tag themselves in locations especially if they’re alone as a nearby trafficker could easily target the victim. Hanuman’s desire to work as a human trafficking activist started during a trip to Thailand when she saw a young girl half-dressed on the street. She then noticed a gang of men opposite the road, monitoring her very closely.
After being intrigued by this, she approached the victim and asked her why she was there. Surprisingly, the victim opened up and told Hanuman what she does for a living and how she was trafficked by one of the men standing opposite her.
The victim said she was trafficked from a different city and the trafficker threatened to kill her family if she ever decided to leave.
Hanuman concluded, “Only 1% of trafficking victims are ever found, it’s such a sad reality and people think it’s something far from them but it happens right under our noses.”
SOURCE: Phoenix Sun
