Pic: City of Tshwne
By Staff Reporter
Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights.
Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Due to the nature and extent of this crime, the United Nations pronounced 30 July 2014 the first World Day against Trafficking in Persons. The United Nations office on drugs and crime assists states in their efforts to implement the protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons.
In honour of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the City of Tshwane Health and Social Development Department joined stakeholders in a march from Arcadia to Sunnyside on the morning of 30 July. The purpose was to create awareness locally and highlight the plight of millions of women, men and children who fall prey to trafficking every day. The theme was “Qaphela,” which means “watch out”.
The march commenced at the Pretoria Art Museum in Wessels and Park Streets in Arcadia with supporters holding placards, chanting songs all the way to Jubilee Park in Sunnyside where an educational drama was performed by talented Tshwane University of Technology students. The characters portrayed were those of true story tellers.
The event was supported by the Department of Home Affairs, the University of Pretoria, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the South African Police Service, Mercy House and other non-government organisations.
The City of Tshwane News Services reported that the campaign targeted women, men and children in Tshwane who are engaged in human trafficking, potential victims and community members who are committed to eradicating this crime in their communities. The aim is to eradicate this criminality and to promote as well as protect the rights of the victims of this crime.
Human trafficking is the trade of humans, typically for the purposes of forced labour or commercial sexual exploitation. Almost every country in the world is affected by this trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims.
Victims of human trafficking are often subjected to bondage; detainment of travel documents, passports and ID documents; social and linguistic isolation; and the use of violence and fear to coerce them to comply with the trafficker’s requirements. About 600 000 to 800 000 victims are annually trafficked across international borders.
