Her Royal Highness, the Queen of Royal Bafokeng Nation
Kgosi Reuben Manyala
Kgosi Lucky More
Kgosi Lkuka Letlape
Kgosi Kabelo Kgaladi
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Public Safety in Bojanala Platinum District
Municipality, Councillor Sammy Lobelo
Representatives of the various political parties
Councillors
Representatives of the Business Sector
Senior Managers and staff from government departments
Invited guests
Distinguishes guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Our beloved children
Members of the media
Good morning and thank you for inviting me to be part of this important ceremony which precedes one of the most spectacular world events, the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup which is going to take place for the first time on African soil.
I would like to start by quoting one of the most famous dramatists in world literature; Sir William Shakespeare and I quote, “From the same spring where comfort swells, discomfort swells.”
I have decided to cite this quote to illustrate that, in the midst of our great excitement, our enemies can take advantage and cause the greatest harm to our families abducting our children, popularly known as “child trafficking”, to unknown or faraway places. I am sure they are ready, but we must not give them the slightest chance irrespective of the fact that there is great euphoria going on in all parts of our country.
Fellow South Africans,
Child trafficking occurs in virtually every country around the world including our own, and we must not under-estimate the fact that criminals who are involved in this illegal trade are ready to pounce on our children if we lose our guard or make the slightest mistake. I am sorry to say that the developed world is both a destination and a source country in international child trafficking and domestic trafficking within our own borders is even more prevalent.
There is no gainsaying therefore that human trafficking is on the rise and according a United States State Department, it has even surpassed the illegal sale of arms and will surpass the illegal sale of drugs in the next few years. The fact of the matter is if drugs are used they are used once and are gone. But the victims of child trafficking can be used and abused over the over and over, again.
As a host country to the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup tournament, we need to add our voices to the fight against child trafficking by raising awareness, identifying and addressing weaknesses in child protection systems, protecting and assisting children who have already been trafficked and taking steps to prevent child trafficking from occurring in the first place especially, at this time of our history when almost the entire soccer world and tourists from all over the world will descend on our soil.
Whereas children are potential victims of both commercial and sexual abuse by traffickers due to lack of education, gender, inequality, violence, corruption, poverty, lack of employment opportunities, demand for cheap and services and an expanding globalised sex industry, majority of child trafficking go unreported due to the highly clandestine nature of the crime.
This calls for policies and practices encouraging civil participation and cooperation in the prosecution of traffickers. It is also important that police, prosecutors and the courts punish traffickers within our justice system that is quick, respect and safeguard the rights of the victims (children) to privacy, dignity and safety.
For example, trafficking in persons account for about 42 million people worldwide and these are living with HIV and AIDS, and sex trafficking plays a major role in spreading the epidemic. According to the 2005 United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) report, across Asia, the HIV epidemics are propelled by combination of injecting drug use and commercial sex.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As we strive to end child trafficking in our communities, it is vital to understand the complexity of child-trafficking. The causes of child trafficking are complex and often reinforce each other. The supply of victims is encouraged by many factors, including poverty, the attraction of perceived higher standards of living elsewhere, lack of opportunities in employment¸ organised crime, to mention a few.
For example, in some societies, a tradition of fostering allows a younger child to be sent to live and work in an urban centre with a member of the extended family, in exchange for a promise of education and instruction in a trade.
In most cases child traffickers take advantage of this tradition, and often position themselves as employment agents, including parents to part with a child, but then traffick the child into prostitution, domestic servitude, or a commercial enterprise. And this is what one victim had to say in the end, “I did not even ask where I was going. I was promised a job and money for food. I was sure I was getting away from trouble. I even thought that I would make some money, return home and help everyone, including my father.”
Ladies and gentlemen,
There is no place like home. Our children are ours and they are as dear to us more than money. Home sweet home; we need to make our homes secured for our children.
The question is how do we identify child trafficking especially, in our communities? Without knowing these traits, it would not be easy to stop it, or we may even be privy to this offence without our knowledge.
Trafficking of children involves the recruitment, transport, harbouring or receipt of children for the purpose of exploitation. Child trafficking can take various forms, including but not limited to trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation, including forced labour, domestic servitude or slavery, illegal international adoption, trafficking for early or service marriage, recruitment as child-soldiers etc.
However, this is often hidden and hard to address. What is sad about child trafficking is it always violates the rights of the child to grow up in a family environment. In addition, children who have been trafficked face a range of dangers, including violence and sexual abuse. In some cases, trafficked children are arrested and detained as illegal aliens.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Are children not qualified to enjoy the rights that we all enjoy on this earth? I suppose they do, because rights are needs that everyone in the world has; they have nothing to do with the colour of your skin, your religion, where you are from, or how smart you are. They are also not privileges you have to earn. Rights are things you need and deserve just because you belong to this place called earth.
Is it therefore wrong for the child to walk freely in his or her neighbourhood without fear of abduction? Or is it wrong for children to take the bus from their gate and go to school or to the stadium and return home?
Since we are lucky enough to have our rights protected, that means we also have big responsibilities, too such as respecting other people’s opinions, helping children or our neighbours’ children if they need it, and making sure we stay smart and healthy so that we can make the world a better place. If we have the right to be protected, we have the responsibility to protect all children in our communities, if we have the right to safe environments, why not children. Children too have the right to live in a safe environment and to enjoy all the benefits we enjoy now.
In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen,
As the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup approaches, we have a host of guests entering our country.
The only way we can say no to child trafficking is to ensure that we open our eyes wide watching what is happening around us. But above all, we need to communicate with our children regarding their day to day movements.
The UN Convention protects the rights of children, but unless we explain to our children what danger awaits them each time they are approached by strangers, they will become victims of strangers.
We must not let our children go out to long and faraway places without telling us where they are. We must not leave our children in cars in parking lots, hoping that people are around. As adults, we need to keep the police informed immediately of any suspiciously looking interaction between a child and an adult.
I am convinced that raising awareness about the evils of child trafficking will go a long way to educate children from talking to strangers and deter would be criminals from engaging in this act.
Remember, from the same spring where comfort swells, discomfort swells! Let us be joyful but not be forgetful.
I thank you for your attention.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Cell: 083 629 1987
Issued by: Department of Public Safety, North West Provincial Government
29 May 2010
