Lesotho and SA officials 'complicit' in sex trafficking - Study
A report from the United States has claimed South African and Lesotho officials have become complicit in the sex trafficking of Basotho women.
Picture: Pixabay.com
John Maytham speaks with Tershia De Klerk, Director of The Joseph Movement.
Listen to the interview in the audio below.
The 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report states that traffickers are recruiting victims from neighbouring countries and rural areas in South Africa and exploiting them into sex trafficking locally and in urban centres.
They are largely bringing them to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Bloemfontein.
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Traffickers target young women through fake job advertisements on social media and classified advertisement forums.
Many of these adverts will specifically request Zimbabwean or Malawian applicants.
The report also argues that officials in South Africa and Lesotho have enabled sex trafficking of Basotho women into SA to continue with ‘impunity’.
“We are aware of our porous borders. It is a major problem that is fuelling human trafficking.”
- Tershia De Klerk, Director of The Joseph Movement
De Klerk says many of the foreigners who come into South Africa are exploited and forced into sex trafficking, especially women and children.
She adds that forced marriage and forced begging are also common forms of trafficking in the country.
In some cases, people are also forced to commit cyber crimes on behalf of traffickers.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.