19 Oct 2023

Human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights and a threat to the dignity and wellbeing of individuals.

Speaking at the launch of the Countering Trafficking in Persons project in Gaborone on Tuesday, Minister of Justice Mr Machana Shamukuni said Botswana was not spared and continued to record cases of human tracking and human smuggling.

Mr Shamukuni said the Countering Trafficking in Persons in Botswana project was a relevant initiative and showed his ministry’s commitment to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons.

He said human trafficking preyed on the vulnerable  stating that the vulnerability might be due to economic factors.  

 Minister Shamukuni said traffickers used social media to lure unsuspecting victims by posing as labour recruitment agencies, institutions of learning and religious organisations. Vulnerability, he added, might be involuntary due to other factors such as conflict and climate change.

Furthermore, he said when victims reah the destinations, some are coerced into forced labour akin to slavery, sexual exploitation and organ harvesting.

This, he said made trafficking in persons classified as a grave violation of human rights.

The minister said recently, he presented to Cabinet, a memorandum seeking to amend the anti-human trafficking Act.

The minister said the amendment paved way for him to submit the anti-human trafficking amendment bill for consideration during the November Parliament sitting. 

The amendment objective, he said, was to ensure that government met the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking as espoused in the United Nations convention on transitional organised crime.

He said in June 2021, the government was ranked at Tier Two by the Trafficking in Persons Report published by United States of America.

The Tier Two, he explained, denoted that the country had not met the minimum standards in fighting human trafficking though making significant efforts.

Mr Shamukuni said the ceremony marked the beginning of a new chapter in the country’s efforts in combatin trafficking in persons.

He said the Ministry of Justice and International Organisation on Migration (IOM) stood in unison in purpose and dedication.

He further said milestones and activities planned for implementation in the next two years would facilitate their goal to reach Tier One.

He said his ministry had partnered with a reputable organization, UN IOM to provide expertise, resources and guidance.

This partnership, he said , would find ways to prevent trafficking in persons, protect victims and prosecute perpetrators.

Mr Shamukuni called on all citizens and communities to play a role in creating a Botswana where the scourge of trafficking in persons was eradicated and justice and human rights were upheld.

For her part, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Senior Regional Thematic Specialist, Ms Fitriana Nur said trafficking in persons was a global crime generating billions of dollars by exploiting human beings into forced labour, slavery, prostitution and other forms of exploitation.

Ms Nur said in Botswana, human trafficking was linked to migrations especially as it was perpetrated by network of criminals who exploited domestic and foreign victims.

She said some of the victims were possibly economic migrants who were intercepted by traffickers transitioning from Somalia, Zambia and Zimbabwe to South Africa.

Ms Nur highlighted that traffickers targeted unemployed women, rural communities, agricultural workers and children.

She further said they targeted people willing to move in search of better livelihood and welfare in other countries, with false promises for the purpose of exploiting them.

Ms Nur said Botswana had taken a stride in responding to the heinous crime by initiating a number of frameworks of action.

She said the government was advancing in amending the Anti-Human Trafficking Act that would deter people from committing the crime.

Botswana, she said, was about to launch the National Action Plan for 2023-2028 and was finalising the Ethical Recruitment Policies and the Ethical Recruitment Action Plan.

Ms Nur said the government had also established a specialised unit in the Ministry of Justice to respond to trafficking in persons and had also established the National Human Trafficking Prohibition committee which was critical in driving actions in combating human trafficking. ENDS