South Africa: United Against Trafficking

Modern day slavery, which is commonly termed human trafficking, is a crime that has existed for many years, becoming more prominent in recent decades as it manifests across the globe. Although prevalent historically, its apparent re-emergence in modern-day has seen governments and non-governmental bodies studying the crime, framing the problem, and slowly adopting measures to mitigate and to reduce it. Despite progress in the formulation of policy and legislation to combat human trafficking, these measures have been varied in their effectiveness. The many weaknesses in enforcement are often attributed to poor planning and coordination among state and non-state actors. The lack of coordination has resulted in a weakened response and subpar enforcement of policy. However, Chapter 4 discusses the existing literature which identifies numerous avenues through which collaboration has enhanced enforcement to curb the crime. Since the South African Government has criminalised human trafficking under its Prevention and Combatting of Trafficking in Persons (PACOTIP) Act 7 of 2013, it has demonstrated the intention to take a human rights, victim-centred approach, which ensures that the victim’s protection is at the heart of the strategy. Nonetheless, enforcement of the legislation has been subject to various shortcomings, which often stem from a lack of central leadership and collaboration. Working alongside the state’s response (and often under the radar), is a vital network of Non- Government Organisations (NGOs) who have demonstrated a willingness to work under the PACOTIP framework to mitigate human trafficking. However, in South Africa these NGOs have been have not yet been studied closely, notwithstanding their major contribution to counter-trafficking efforts.