Head of Launched Network against Human Trafficking in South Africa Highlights Priorities

“Traffickers often target vulnerable people such as children and the destitute, the poor and marginalized”, Sr. Khasoane said, and added, “So, we are going to target school learners by raising awareness at schools.”

The awareness if meant to result in vigilance among the people, she said, and explained, “It is my wish that people in South Africa can become fully aware about human trafficking and become more vigilant.”

In the April 11 interview, Sr. Khasoane spoke about the personnel of the newly launched Talitha Kum S.A saying they include five women Religious drawn from different Congregations and one Religious Brother.

“Each member is expected to create their own committee in their respective Dioceses”, Sr. Khasoane said, and added, “We will then have regular meetings where we will report to each other, and see where we can support each other.”

She described Talitha Kum S.A as a project of the international coalition of Networks of Consecrated Life working together to end human trafficking around the world through collaborative initiative.

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In the interview with ACI Africa, Sr. Khasoane went on to highlight some of the potential stakeholders who could be part of the collaborative ministry of raising awareness about human trafficking.

“We plan to work with NGOs, the Hawks, Police Services at community level and with Sr. Melanie O’Connor from the SACBC Counter Trafficking in Persons Office '', the RGS member said, the latter referencing an entity of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

She added, “As Talitha Kum SA we will also focus on prevention, protection, rehabilitation, partnership, and advocacy, and promoting actions that affect the systemic causes of human trafficking. Our intention is end human trafficking in South Africa.”

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), South Africa is a primary destination for trafficked persons in the Southern African region and within Africa at large. It is also an origin and transit country for trafficking toward Europe and North America.

“Trafficking affects women, men and children exploited in forced labor, commercial sex, forced begging and forced criminality. Foreign male forced labor victims have also been detected on fishing vessels in South Africa's territorial waters,” the UN agency says in a May 2019 report.

UNODC furthers states, “Internally, girls are trafficked from rural to urban areas for sexual exploitation and domestic servitude, while boys are forced to work in street vending, begging, agriculture, mining, and criminal activities.”

In the April 11 interview with ACI Africa, Sr. Khasoane said Talitha Kum South Africa would seek to collaborate with existing Church organizations working with victims of human trafficking, including Fazenda da Esperança in South Africa’s Bethlehem Diocese.

At Fazenda da Esperança, she said, “some of our Sisters are also assisting victims of human trafficking”.

Sheila Pires is a veteran radio and television Mozambican journalist based in South Africa. She studied communications at the University of South Africa. She is passionate about writing on the works of the Church through Catholic journalism.