South African Police Service (Saps) on Tuesday arrested 82 Malawians who were travelling from Mangochi in a three-tonne van to South Africa without travelling documents, The Daily Times has established.
Meanwhile, Malawi Government, South African High Commission in Malawi and Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) have unreservedly condemned the actions of these human traffickers as an abhorrent crime committed against innocent and defenceless human beings.
According to eNCA website the 57 children (aged between 11 and 21 years) were being trafficked to South Africa even though their final destination and the time they had been on the road is not clear. The police found 18 young Malawian girls and 39 boys inside the van, which had a makeshift window at the top.
It is reported that in the early hours of Tuesday, the officers spotted a white “delivery” truck travelling at high speed in Rustenburg.
When they stopped the van, they found the driver and two other people in the front seat. They refused to answer questions related to what they were transporting and refused to open the van.
When the officers forced open the van, two children fell to the ground, explains eNCA.
Malawi’s Consular General in South Africa, Fraser Nihorya, confirmed that these are Malawians from Chilipa in Mangochi.
“They had no documentation. It is reported that Mussa who is their master-mind withheld them. The older people were arrested in Limpopo before Rustenburg,” he said, adding that the driver and two assistants are in police custody and that South African authorities are working with Malawian officials in their investigations.
South African acting national police commissioner, Khomotso Phahlane, told eNCA that the children are well looked after and the Department of Social Development will do justice.
He said the people were taken for assessment or treatment immediately after they were found.
“The driver and two others were arrested for human trafficking. The suspects appeared briefly at the Rustenburg Regional Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday— their case has been postponed to 13 September 2016— facing 57 counts of human trafficking,” said Phahlane.
In reaction to this development, South African High Commissioner to Malawi, Cassandra Mbuyane- Mokone, said it is sad that this is not the first incident of this nature.
“We, therefore, encourage all relevant authorities to work together to prevent the recurrence of such events. We are appalled by human trafficking in all its dimensions and note that authorities in South Africa and Malawi are cooperating in ensuring that this scourge is addressed to ensure the safety of the vulnerable in our societies,” she said.
Chairperson for MHRC, Justin Dzonzi, said the commission is concerned that the country continues to register these cases despite having a comprehensive legal framework protecting people from trafficking.
“It is also disturbing that a large number of children of such tender age are moved from Malawi to South Africa packed in inhumane conditions without being detected by the police, border authorities and the community. This shows that there is desperate need for rigorous and concerted effort to fully implement the law,” he said.
Dzonzi added: “It’s a shame that we are letting our children to be treated like animals without stopping the vice. The enforcement agents need to be constantly alert on these issues since Malawi is considered a destination, transit and source for trafficking. We had a similar case involving 13 children trafficked to Mozambique and we should have learnt something by now.”
MHRC noted that there is a lot that needs to be done after passing the law which was a major step.
“Malawi now needs to fully operationalise the protection that has been enacted in the Trafficking in Persons Act, 2015 and related laws such as CCPJA, the Penal Code (Amendment) Act and Gender Equality Act.
“Having a powerful legal framework means nothing if the social and economic welfare of the people remain extremely poor. There is need to uplift people’s standard of living so that people are not forced into desperate, criminal and harmful actions.
“With the current food crisis, drought, fluctuating currency, government needs to be more alert because these crimes are bound to be on the increase and vulnerable groups like women and children are the main target,” Dzonzi said.
Government spokesperson, Patricia Kaliati, said government is going to intensify security at all borders including unchartered routes.
“It’s surprising that these people are still going to South Africa without any documentation in search of good jobs. How can one get a good job when they have never been to school?” She argued.
Kaliati also faulted parents of the children: “Their mothers are very irresponsible. How can one let the child she carried in her womb for nine months to be subjected to such inhuman treatment? Child protection should be everyone’s responsibility and communities should learn to report such irresponsible parents.”
This year this paper and our sister papers Malawi News and The Sunday Times have been exposing various cases of child and human trafficking and human smuggling to South Africa. Most Malawians migrate to South Africa in search of greener pastures.
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