ROMA – There is no sign of abating in the phenomenon of human trafficking in South Africa, according to an article by Blackness. A few days ago a unit of the Special Task Force (STF) of the South African Police Service (SAPS) has freed 90 undocumented Ethiopians held in inhumane conditions in Sunnydale Ridge, a suburb of Johannesburg. The discovery came as STF police were tracking down the victim of a kidnapping for ransom that took place on August 1, when the blackmailers were caught demanding hundreds of thousands of rand of ransom. In the operation at Sunnydale Ridge the police discovered, in addition to the kidnapped woman, also the Ethiopians locked up, confined and crammed into some rooms.
Two alleged kidnappers arrested. “There was broken glass outside one of the bedroom windows and the garden was full of weeds, uncut tree branches and rubbish,” said Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, a spokeswoman for the national police force. “Two alleged traffickers and kidnappers found on the property have been arrested. They are due to appear in Palm Ridge Magistrates’ Court to face kidnapping and trafficking charges,” the officer added.
South Africa is the epicenter of human trafficking. South Africa remains a key destination and transit country for human trafficking flows, which has unfortunately seen few successful operations against traffickers so far. The number of incidents related to the capture and trafficking of people, both adults and minors, appears to be constantly increasing. In December 2023, again in the Benoni area, the police freed 33 people destined for trafficking, crammed into a single room.
More Ethiopian slaves discovered last February. In February this year, 13 Ethiopians were discovered in a house in Parkhurst, Johannesburg, and four of them were minors between the ages of 14 and 15.
Another key country is Malawi, where in 2022 a mass grave was also discovered with the bodies of 290 migrants of Ethiopian origin, presumably suffocated during transport.
The former president’s stepson was implicated and then acquitted. A case that also involved the stepson of former president Peter Mutharika, Tadikira Mafubza, later acquitted of charges of human trafficking and aggravated manslaughter, along with seven other people. According to numerous reports published by United Nations agencies, the majority of Africans see South Africa as the nation where it is easiest to transit to reach Europe or America, and at the same time it is considered the most favorable country for traffickers’ operations, both towards the rich countries of the West and towards Latin America and Asia.
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– 2024-08-11 14:04:27
