In human trafficking

very easy. Some syndicates appear, and I say this very carefully, to involve high-level police officials and leading government officials. So that’s why there’s no political will [to deal with it].

“Southern Africa in particular is experiencing an explosion of human trafficking, not only within the country but [also] across borders. As a transit junction, a lot of cases involve women brought from Thailand who go through South Africa and are transported off to Italy, Turkey and Latin America,” Frankel said.

“The reason for that is that our passports are much easier to fake, very easy. South African passports often crop up in the most bizarre situations. It’s not that hard to bring someone through from OR Tambo, or other airports or ports in Cape Town and Durban.”

Until 2013, South Africa did not have specific laws that could be used to prosecute human trafficking. In 2015, the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act was implemented. Van der Watt said this has resulted in more cases appearing before the court and “now is the time to optimally use it and establish good case law”.

Frankel believes the slow legislative response to the problem contributed to the proliferation of the crime.

“Relatively speaking, the government assigns a very small amount of money to anti-trafficking [operations] and that’s because until [2013] there wasn’t a national law against it. So it’s not been at the forefront of the agenda,” he said.

Although women trafficked into the sex trade have dominated media reports on trafficking in South Africa, Van der Watt said labour trafficking is “probably the most common [form]”.

“The most documented type of trafficking, both locally and internationally, is sex trafficking. However, labour trafficking is grossly under-represented and probably a far greater problem here in South Africa than what we realise,” he said.

Frankel concurred: “Global commentators have increasingly come to appreciate labour trafficking is a huge industry in itself, which may constitute about 70% of trafficking. It’s huge.”

Control of victims

In 2015, Van der Westhuizen conducted a study on the relationships between traffickers and their victims. In her report she cites an unnamed nongovernmental organisation manager describing how victims are forced into completing tasks for their traffickers after initial resistance.

“When a girl stops fighting, then she starts working,” the manager says, referring to women trafficked into the sex trade.

An investigating officer told Van der Westhuizen that traffickers would reward their victims with gifts and praise. “Wow, you did a great job. Heavens, you brought back R10 000! Here, you can have R1000. Jis, you’re amazing. You are sexy; here are beautiful clothes for you,” the report reads.

Van der Watt and University of Free State Professor Beatri Kruger are preparing a publication on the use of juju, or muti, in human trafficking. Van der Watt said victims undergo rituals involving the collection of human tissue, such as menstrual blood, nails or underarm and pubic hair, to instil a fear that harm will befall them if they run away or approach the police.

“Victims are thus manipulated and controlled without being physically controlled or detained,” he said.