With the South African World Cup less than two weeks away, there is continued concern that the event will be used for human trafficking.
It has been estimated that between 40,000 to 100,000 people may be trafficked for the World Cup. In January, Time magazine reported on a three week investigation into human trafficking. Finding a lucrative trade in child sex near two stadiums, one trafficker said, "I’m really looking forward to doing more business during the World Cup." Children can earn $45 to $600 a night for their captors.
Although the numbers of people trafficked are hard to verify, the issue is of enough concern for South Africa’s President Zuma to warn parents to be vigilant during the World Cup to guard against a possible jump in child trafficking.
On Friday 21 May, at the launch of Child Protection Week and the Children's Act, Zuma said, "While we are excited that we'll be receiving visitors for the FIFA World Cup we must be mindful that an event of this magnitude opens opportunity for criminals with ill intentions of trafficking in women and children.”
With South African schools closed for the month-long Cup, which starts on June 11, Zuma noted, "Not all parents and care-givers will be able to align their vacation with that of the extended school vacation. We urge parents to take extra care and ensure that their children are supervised and provided with guidance at all times.
"Children wandering alone in shopping malls and football stadiums will be vulnerable to people with evil intentions."
South Africa has fast-tracked a new law against human trafficking to bring it into effect before the World Cup, which will make it easier to prosecute suspects and will give South African courts jurisdiction over acts outside the country's borders.
"We will play our part as government but parents and care-givers also have to be vigilant," he said.
A few days earlier, Bishops of Southern Africa from Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, had gathered to discuss the problem of human trafficking in their region. The Interregional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) met in Johannesburg from 18 to 19 May.
