COMMEMORATION OF WORLD D AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN PERSON
This year’s commemoration of the world day against trafficking in persons was held under the theme “Victims Voices Lead the Way”. In commemoration the Minister of Defense Justice and Security Kagiso Mmusi made a presentation.
He said the theme squarely places victims of human trafficking at the centre of all interventions designed to mitigate and combat this highly clandestine, debilitating and dehumanizing form of transnational organized crime.
“I would like to preface my address today by saluting our law enforcement agencies, Government Departments, civil society and indeed other crucial actors within the criminal justice system for securing Botswana’s
first successful conviction of a human trafficking case.” Mmusi remarked. He said human trafficking cases are very difficult to investigate and often require the participation of victims who are consequently and unavoidably subjected to reliving the most unpleasant experiences of their lives as they testify and relate their ordeals.
The case in question involves the multiple sexual exploitation of a sixteen-year-old girl child who was taken from her parents by the trafficker through deceptive means and held in captivity right here in Gaborone.
She was locked up in a room, subjected to violence and starvation at the hands of her thirty four year old female captor and trafficker who sold her body to anyone who was willing to sexually exploit it.
He said the case should be an indication that Batswana cannot afford to be complacent and must
therefore
fight human trafficking with all the might that they can muster.
Mmusi said they are working with various international organizations to ensure that continued exchange of information and skills to combat the growing cases of human trafficking.
Mmusi said they are working with the United Nations, particularly with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on providing critical training to frontline officials across all of Government to include the criminal justice system.
He further said they are also working at the regional level and through the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security to implement and develop new and key regional policy interventions to combat human trafficking and other forms of transnational organized crime.
“We are working in concert with international partners for instance through bilateral arrangements with the Governments of the United Kingdom and that of the United States of America to devise strategies and
interventions to better safe
guard our people from exploitatio on the international level.”
Mmusi pointed out. He said o the legislative front, the Ministry developing a Bill to amend the Hu man Trafficking Act of 2014 to mak it more responsive to emerging ele ments of the crime and ensure th it prescribes sufficiently stringe sentences to offenders.
“Rest assured Batswana Betsh that your Government reaffirm her commitment, on this day an in commemoration of World Da against Trafficking in Persons th we will strive to do all that we can t prevent, punish and combat huma trafficking.” Mmusi said.
He encouraged Batswana to us the digital space or the internet t learn the tricks that human traffic ers to lure and capture people, d all they can to arm themselves wit knowledge and share the informa tion with friends and family.
Do not fully rely on Governme to handhold you when it comes t comprehensively protecting you self against such emerging crimin offences