Reports of trafficked Mozambican women and children to South Africa

Save the Children claims that recent media reports of trafficked Mozambican women and children to South Africa is just the tip of the iceberg of a much larger and more pervasive problem in Southern Africa.

Thursday 3 April 2008

Since the beginning of 2008, suspected cases of trafficking involving 52 children and young women have been reported by the media in Mozambique. In March, one case of trafficking was confirmed by the South African and Mozambican authorities involving the sexual enslavement of three girls and young women in Pretoria who had been made false promises of work and education in South Africa.

Chris McIvor of Save the Children claims that:

"The media coverage over the past three months with regards to suspected cases of trafficking in human beings is encouraging and a welcome change. However, the reality is that the vast majority of human trafficking cases, both within Mozambique and to neighbouring countries, are never reported. Many victims simply disappear and are never seen again."

Save the Children recognises that efforts in Mozambique are being made to curb the trafficking of human beings, but that much more needs to be done. We call for a number of measures to be taken in order to protect people from trafficking:

  • for the National Assembly of Mozambique to approve the draft Anti-Trafficking law bill
  • more regional government cooperation in Southern Africa to combat trafficking
  • for Government and civil society organisations to raise community awareness across the country about the existence and dangers of trafficking
  • ensure that victims of trafficking have access to care and support services
  • more research on trafficking and what can be done to prevent it.

It is also important to highlight the link between vulnerable children - often orphans - who voluntarily cross into neighbouring countries without guardians and legal documentation, and their being trafficked because of a lack of protection.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:
Chris McIvor, Country Director of Save the Children UK - Mozambique, tel: +258 21 498762/3 or +258 82 318 3230, email: scn.maputo@tdm.co.mz.
Maria Salome Cabo, Anti-Trafficking Project Manager, email: scn.atraffic@tdm.co.mz, tel: +258 82 4286280.