Issued by Office of the Presidency
20 November 2000
Molo Songololo in conjunction with the National Programme of Action for Children in South Africa (NPA) based in The Presidency invites representatives of the media to the public launch and press conference on a report on the trafficking of children for the purposes of sexual exploitation in South Africa.
The research report was undertaken by Molo Songololo a Cape Town based NGO dealing with children's issues, and is endorsed by the Office of the Rights of the Child which is based in the Presidency.
The launch will take place on 22 November 2000, at the Observatory Training & Conference Centre, 18A Gill Street , Observatory, Johannesburg from 11am - 2pm.
The report, the first of its kind in South Africa, focuses on in-country trafficking of girl children and cross border trafficking of girl and boy children. The report also provides information on trafficking routes, the trafficker, trafficking operations and the conditions in which children are held captive. It indicates the involvement of gangs, trans-national criminal syndicates and individuals.
The words of trafficked children are brought to life in the report as they recount their experiences of abduction, violence, rape, exploitation and fear.
"Now we, Lucia and I are trapped in the house, we are prisoners because we couldn't go out and they watched us the whole time and everything was locked and they carried guns. I decided I would go out on the street with them one night so that I would get an opportunity to run away"....
"We were about seventeen people in the lounge when Faizel raped Lucia. Lucia was only fourteen years old. When Faizel was done with her, Adam came to me and said that I should forget about running away".
The children's desire for rescue and safety comes across clearly as a challenge to a system and society that currently provides little intervention or response to such children.
Guests of the launch will include ambassadors, Senior Staff of the Presidency, the NPA Members, representatives from government departments, NGO's, tourism, media and the business sector. A press conference will be held immediately after the launch of the document.
For more information please contact:
Bernadette or Zurayah of Molo Songololo on 021-4485421 or 082 3379623 or email:
molo@mweb.co.za
or
Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva of the Office on the Rights of the Child on 082 772 6399 or email Jabu@po.gov.za
Issued by
Communications Unit
The Presidency
Pretoria
0001