Human Trafficking: Prevalent Yet Ignored

Human trafficking is a subject that you really only hear or think about while watching crime TV shows.  Although, in reality, other people in the world are not as fortunate as us to simply watch a recreation of the horrors of human trafficking for entertainment. People all over South Africa have to live in a state of fear of their friends and family being stolen and never seen again, and the government doing nothing to help them. Thousands of people are being trafficked each year and the government continues to make little of this issue, but even this number cannot be exact as there is an extreme lack of reporting. (Der Watt, Marcel Van) These victims are often forced to do hard labor or become sex workers.

What are the issues surrounding human trafficking that have caused it to become so immense? There is basically nothing being done right now to help stop this horrendous plague of human trafficking syndicates brewing in South Africa. There are limited places for them to go and the traffickers are rarely convicted. All of this is due to the government’s negligence.  Not enough people know about this issue, and if people don’t realize, this will just continue.

There is a lack of safe places for people who have been trafficked to go, and a lack of empathy for victims, so they are stuck in a cycle of forced servitude without escape. Even after people break free from being trafficked, they are often unable to find work. This inability to find employment is due to the label they have from being formers sex workers. Many are forced to return to the pimps that kidnapped them in the first place. (Timeslive) There is also a major lack of safe houses for victims of trafficking. This, in addition, contributes to their inability to be able to break free from the cycle, as they have nowhere to go. Many find themselves in multi-purpose shelters that lack the support services they need. (Dewhurst, Jessica) This causes victims to not report cases, which in turn cause more of these traffickers to continue to be free. If there were more places for these people to go, maybe more people would report their kidnappers and be able to return to normal life, as they can finally feel safe from them.

Additionally, the South African government’s police force is completely corrupt and ineffective. The U.S Government stated, “The [South African] government did not systematically prosecute or convict individuals involved in major international syndicates responsible for much of the sex trafficking in the country.” This is due to the fact that police corruption has hindered the police’s usefulness in this situation. These people work for the corporations and the police to make sure that they are not convicted. (Of State, U.s. Department) Many of these syndicates go to the extreme in order to get the complete cooperation of police officers, even getting the police addicted to drugs. (Whittles, Govan)

 This issue in South Africa is clearly not dissipating anytime soon, but people are still trying. The UN has even held meetings about this one problem, as it has become so large. They are currently working on forcing the South African Government to improve the situation within the country. (Timeslive) The U.S. Government itself has been trying to help as well, by suggesting ways in which South Africa can remedy the solution. (Of State, U.s. Department) Maybe through these suggestions, there will be a solution that resolves human trafficking in South Africa reduces the prevalence or indefinitely.


Works Cited:

Dewhurst, Jessica. “The Reality of Human Trafficking in South Africa - The Southern Cross.” The Southern Cross, The Southern Cross, 22 Aug. 2017, www.scross.co.za/2017/08/reality-human-trafficking-south-africa/. Accessed July 2018.

Of State, U.s. Department. “South Africa.” U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of State, 7 Mar. 2018, www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2016/258860.htm. Accessed July 2018.

Der Watt, Marcel Van. “Human Trafficking in South Africa: an Elusive Statistical Nightmare.” The Conversation, The Conversation, 16 July 2015, theconversation.com/human-trafficking-in-south-africa-an-elusive-statistical-nightmare-43949. Accessed Sept. 2018.

Sammisreachers. Pixabay , 17 July 2013, pixabay.com/en/prison-prisoner-slavery-162885/.

Timeslive. “South African Trafficking Survivor Urges UN to Not Just Act 'on Paper'.” Times Live South Africa, Times Live South Africa, 27 Sept. 2017, www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-09-27-south-african-trafficking-survivor-urges-un-to-not-just-act-on-paper/. Accessed 2018.

Whittles, Govan. “Human Trafficking, Especially for Labour, Is Rife in SA.” The M&G Online, The M&G Online, 7 June 2017, mg.co.za/article/2017-06-07-00-human-trafficking-especially-for-labour-is-rife-in-sa. Accessed 2018.