01 Aug 2021

 Members of the public have been advised to be vigilant and to learn to recognise tricks used by human traffickers to avoid becoming victims. 

 Officiating at World Day against Trafficking in Persons commemoration in Gaborone on Friday,  Minister of Defence Justice and Security Mr Kagiso Mmusi recalled the sexual exploitation case of a teenager by her ‘guardian’. 

  Giving background to the case, he said it entailed multiple sexual exploitation of the 16-year-old by a 34-year-old woman. 

Mr Mmusi said the woman tricked the girl’s parents into giving her custody of the child only to keep the teenager under lock and key and using her as a sex slave. 

“I am informed that the presiding judge, when handing down the 10-year jail sentence on this case described the trafficker’s actions as repulsive and I couldn’t agree more,” he said. 

He noted that human trafficking cases were very difficult to investigate and prosecute often requiring victims with the most unpleasant experiences to relive their ordeals through testifying. 

Many could be saved from such ordeals if all joined hands to fight human trafficking, Minister Mmusi said. 

He warned that criminals would lurch onto government’s digitisation programme to commit crimes such human trafficking. 

“The digitisation of our economy is a key catalyst to a thriving economy that we all desire, and my ministry is fully aware that criminals will also be waiting in the wings,” he said. 

The minister noted that statistic from transnational crime prevention bodies showed that online crimes including human trafficking were on the rise. 

It was therefore important for the ministry to demonstrate what government was doing to protect Batswana, he said.

 Mr Mmusi said the ministry was working with the UN, particularly its Office on Drugs and Crime, to provide critical training to frontline officers across government. 

He said this year alone, the ministry had administered two key high-level trainings to members of the media and civil society organisations through virtual conferencing. 

“These trainings have increased awareness amongst these groups, and will in effect increase the level of involvement of civil society and non-governmental organisations in strategic efforts geared at curbing human trafficking,” he explained. 

Mr Mmusi said on the legislative front, a bill to amend the 2014 Human Trafficking Act was being developed to make it more responsive to emerging elements of crime and ensure prescription of stringent sentences.  

He said regionally, the ministry was working through the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security to implement and develop policy interventions to combat human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime. 

At  international level, he explained that the ministry was working through United Kingdom and US governments bilateral arrangements to devise strategies and interventions for improving protection of people from exploitation. 

Regarding international rankings, the minister said Botswana had maintained its tier two position in the US’ Global 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report. 

Mr Mmusi said there were currently 22 human trafficking cases before the courts which he said might be the tip of the iceberg. 

“In my opinion, it is far too early to fully and decidedly determine the pervasiveness of the crime,” he said. 

He said this year’s theme “Victims Voices Lead the Way”, squarely placed human trafficking victims at the centre of interventions designed to mitigate and combat “this highly clandestine and dehumanising form of transnational organised crime”. Ends