13 Jul 2014

Parliament has passed, without any amendments, the Anti-Human Trafficking Bill (No 14 of 2014). 

Contributing to the bill prior to passing, MP for Tswapong North, Mr Prince Maele said even though the bill came very late, it would help curb the current practices of human trafficking in the country.

Mr Maele said international research organisations had in the past failed to collect data on human trafficking in Botswana because of the absence of law on human trafficking, something he said put Botswana in an embarrassing position.

He noted that cases of human trafficking in the country had been difficult to report and deal with even though the amity was rife.

Mr Maele said reports had indicated that human trafficking ranked as the third illegal trade after drug and arms trafficking, and that it had been found to be the fastest growing because its profits were lucrative and quick to come.

He said human traffickers were organised and that because the activity was secretive, sometimes victims realised too late that they had been used. 

Mr Maele also said that because human trafficking was such a lucrative business, police officers had to be monitored closely as they could be easily tempted to take huge bribes that traffickers were ready to pay.

Mahalapye East legislator, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso said the bill would be helpful, especially to women as they were the most trafficked with the promise of job offers. 

Ms Tshireletso, who is also Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said their desperation for jobs made them gullible to being swindled.

She also said human trafficking activities had been taking place in the county for too long, citing children who were often taken to be used at cattle post as herd boys or maids in urban areas. She said it was mostly done by close relatives under the pretext that they were assisting them with such offers.

The MP for Ngwaketse South, Mr Peter Siele said because of the absence of such a legislature, countries such as Britain had been looking at Botswana with suspicion. He therefore supported that the bill should be passed into law as quickly as possible.

Responding to the debates, Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Dikgakgamatso Seretse said the most important element they would have to address was to educate Batswana about the new law as it would criminalise activities that have been legal.

He however, said it was not against the tradition of genuinely and legally assisting relatives with casual jobs. He also cautioned that the Act may give an impression that human trafficking in Botswana has suddenly halted because data on the activity would be available. ENDS