REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA COMBINED SECOND PERIODIC REPORT UNDER THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLE`S RIGHTS
and INITIAL REPORT UNDER THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA
conducted 10 training sessions for prosecutors; which were attended by 193 prosecutors.
During the 2014/15 financial year they conducted a further 6 training sessions; attended
by 109 prosecutors. They have also trained police investigators on the new legislation,
with 30 SAPS (Hawks) TIP co-ordinators attending the training.
399.
The South African government increased its efforts to ensure that trafficked victims had
access to protective services. Government has accredited 13 multi-purpose shelters in
2011 to host trafficked victims and trained personnel to assist trafficked victims. These
shelters provided services to 59 trafficking victims referred by government – the only
body authorized by judicial authorities to refer crime victims to private shelters.
Government identified 22 additional shelters that could potentially care for trafficking
victims and began their assessment for accreditation. It also began provision of a nineweek rehabilitation program to address the psycho-social well-being of trafficked victims
in the care of these shelters.
400.
In recognition of the fact that human trafficking is a transnational crime, South Africa has
ratified international and regional instruments that facilitate trans-national collaborative
measures aimed at combating trafficking in women and children. These instruments are:
the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially
Women and Children; and the UN Convention against Trans-national Organized Crime.
South Africa is also in the process of concluding memoranda of understanding on
cooperation to combat trafficking in persons and assisting victims of trafficking with the
following countries: Angola, Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nigeria, and
Thailand.
401.
In the UNDOS GTIP Report 2012: Forced Labour Prevails, it is reported that South Africa
is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to
forced labour and sex trafficking. Children are trafficked mainly within the country, from
poor rural areas to urban centres such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and
Bloemfontein. Girls are subjected to sex trafficking and domestic servitude; boys are
forced to work in street vending, food service, begging, criminal activities, and
agriculture.
402.
Government is demonstrating increased efforts to address human trafficking through
conviction of offenders. Our courts have also handed down severe sentences in
trafficking cases. For example, in S v Aldina Dos Santos a sentence of life imprisonment
for trafficking in persons for sexual exploitation of children was handed down in 2011. In
S v Jezile the accused was sentenced to 20 years in January 2014 for trafficking for sexually
exploiting a child. The full bench on appeal confirmed the conviction and sentence. And
there are many other cases.218
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In S v Nahima Allima the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment for trafficking in persons for sexual
exploitation in June 2014. In S v Foster Simelane a sentence of 30 years for trafficking for sexual exploitation of
a child was handed down in August 2014. In S v Gwambe the accused was sentenced to 15 years in 2013 for
trafficking for sexual exploitation of children. In S v Vukile Shembe the accused was sentenced to 23 years in
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