Focus on human trafficking: three cases in George court

Update

GEORGE NEWS - Human trafficking is a significant issue in various parts of South Africa (SA), including George.

This heinous crime involves the exploitation of individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for various purposes, such as forced labour, sexual exploitation, and involuntary servitude.

Since December last year, George Herald has reported on three cases of human trafficking that are currently in court.

On 16 December the Hawks arrested a woman (34) at her apartment in the CBD after she was accused of involvement in the trafficking of two Nigerian women, both in their 20s.

The apartment was apparently run as a brothel and two self-confessed sex workers, a Zimbabwean and a South African, were also found on the premises. They shared the two-bedroom apartment with the accused and the victims.

The accused faces six charges relating to human trafficking and sexual offences. Her identity is withheld until she pleads to charges of sexual offences.

Both the Nigerian women were allegedly lured to SA with promises of a career in the beauty industry and given fake passports and documentation in Nigeria. When they arrived in SA their passports were confiscated and they were forced to become sex workers.

The girls were advertised on an escort website and were kept in the apartment.

In March this year, another woman (33) was arrested in Strand, Cape Town, in connection with the human trafficking of the two Nigerians. The accused made her first court appearance in George on Friday 15 March.

She again appeared along with her co-accused in May where she abandoned her bail application. She was found in possession of two passports, various bank cards and R29 000 in cash upon her arrest.

The case for both accused was postponed until 10 June for further investigation.

The third human trafficking suspect, also a woman based in George, was arrested by the Hawks on Saturday 25 May at a well-known brothel in George.

Nyaradzo Ellen Gwenzi (39) was arrested after officials received information about an alleged assault of a victim who was held against her will by the accused.

Gwenzi appeared in the George Magistrate's Court on charges of human trafficking on Thursday 30 May. The case was postponed until 13 June for her formal bail application.

According to a spokesperson for the Hawks, Lt Col Siyabulela Vukubi, it could not yet be confirmed whether this accused can be linked to the previous two.

Further afield in Plettenberg Bay, a man (40) is currently on trial for human trafficking after he picked up children between the ages of 13 and 17 and transported them to Knysna for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

The accused will make his next court appearance on Friday 14 June in the Plettenberg Bay Regional Court.

Besides charges relating to human trafficking and sexual abuse, he also faces charges of possession of child pornography after child sexual abuse and exploitation material was found on his phone. He remains in custody.

Signs of human trafficking

According to the state advocate of the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs Unit, Gerda Marx, trafficking of adults includes three elements: act, means and purpose. Child trafficking, however, only includes act and purpose, as being a child satisfies the 'means' element.

"Victims of human trafficking often believe they must work against their will and are unable to leave their work environment. Their movements are controlled, and they are subjected to violence or threats of violence against themselves or their loved ones," says Marx.

She says many suffer injuries that appear to result from assault or control measures and are distrustful of authorities due to threats of being reported.

"These individuals are unable to negotiate their working conditions, receive little or no payment, and have no access to their earnings. They are forced to work excessively long hours without days off, have limited or no access to medical care, and experience restricted social interaction and contact with their families."

Additionally, many are brought to South Africa under false promises, with transport fees that must be repaid through their labour.

Traffickers intend to exploit

They include recruiters, middlemen, suppliers of fraudulent documents, transporters, corrupt officials, service providers (such as health professionals) and employers of trafficking victims anywhere along the supply chain.

They could be family members, care givers, romantic partners etc, and often take part in only one element of the whole trafficking process.

Why they are successful

"The success of a trafficker depends on their ability to control the victim. Traffickers employ a wide range of psychological and financial control mechanisms, which minimise or eliminate the need for physical violence or confinement. These mechanisms can vary at different stages and often include blackmail, isolation, and grooming," says Marx.

A significant method of control is Stockholm syndrome, also known as trauma bonding, where victims develop empathy and positive feelings towards their captors.

This psychological phenomenon can sometimes lead victims to defend their captors, further entrenching the control traffickers have over them.

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