South Africa
Traffic Situation
The South Africa Law Commission is currently engaged in a process of developing recommendations for comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation consistent with the UN Trafficking Protocol. It expects to complete its recommendations by early 2006, after which a draft legislation will be submitted to Parliament. It has further formed national inter-ministerial committees on human trafficking and has taken preliminary steps to develop a national plan of action. The committee includes representatives from civil society in addition to members of government.
Some responses with participation of Civil Society
Apart from ratifying the UN CRC and the African charters on the issue, the government established a National Programme of Action (NPA), a tool intended to monitor the implementation of children’s rights in the country.
The NPA formed the Data Collection and Monitoring Task Group (MTG) with the aim of monitoring the implementation of the CRC and the African Children’s Charter. Furthermore, South Africa has set a website which offers easy access to statistics on children and their living situations both at national and provincial level. On the other hand NGOs have been involved in the promotion of children’s rights, but a few are actually working directly with children in prostitution.
Molo Songololo, a child’s right organisation has embarked on a campaign to highlight the nature of child sexual exploitation and traffic in children. In general NGOs across the country are endeavouring efforts to address the needs of children involved in prostitution, including advocacy and awareness campaigns, rehabilitation, and reintegration programmes and prevention strategies.
Control Measures to Detect and Prevent Potential Trafficking of Children
Airlines hold the passports and immigration documents of unaccompanied children and present the children to immigration officials.
They also verify and document the identity of the person dropping off and collecting the child at the airport.