Stealing and trafficking children in South Africa, a growing business?

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In recent years stealing children for ransom and trafficking of children have increased alarmingly in South Africa. It is now not just a heinous crime but a growing business.

A recent survey has estimated that two children every day goes missing in South Africa. This kidnapping and selling of children is not a new news,in fact this has been going on since a long time. However after the civil war the number have rose up immensely. During civil war more than 20,000 children were abducted and taken away to fight on the front lines. The kidnappings are done merely for ransom,in some cases in return for 10-20 cattle's and in some cases for custody disputes. For example, Etty Glazer was abducted back in 1966 for a ransom of R140,000.

The kidnappings are also due to the conflict between two tribes,in the name of vengeance. "They take our children,so we're going to take theirs" said a resident of South Sudan who is always alert and carries gun to protect his family especially his children.( source: Vice Asia)

Child abduction has become a business in South Africa. These children are sold in the market for huge ransom. There are many recorded videos showing abduction of children. In one instance a mother and her children were in a van when all of a sudden some masked men opened the van door and took away the children like a wind blow leaving the mother shocked and traumatized. 

"People come to shoot us and take away our children" said the same resident from South Sudan in a documentary of Vice Asia.

In some instances it is even witnessed that the social workers sold children to paedophiles and lonely, desperate couples for money. According ti some sources, social workers used to gull poor families and take away their children. 

Some kidnappers used physical power to pursue the victims to consent or sometimes the traffickers would torment the victims using emotional mechanisms. Children are easier to capture and manipulate. This is one of the reason children are the main target.

Nonetheless South did take some actions regarding trafficking.Former President Jacob Zuma signed the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill into law in July 2013. Three requirements under this law are:

a) "A person has to be delivered, recruited, transported, transferred, harboured, sold, exchanged or leased within or across the borders of South Africa."

b) "There has to be a threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud,deception, abuse of power or vulnerability or payments on benefits to a person in control of the victin."

c) "The victim has to be trafficked for the purpose of exploitation which includes sexual exploitation, servitude, forced labour, child labour or the removal of body parts."

These steps are still inadequate as it is estimated that 30,000 children are trafficked every year. 

 

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