36/1/4/1/201000202
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 269
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 13 AUGUST 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 19- 2010)
Date reply submitted: 13 September 2010
269. Mr M W Makhubela (COPE-Limpopo) to ask the Minister of Police:
Whether the police have achieved any success in arresting persons and/or
groups involved in child and female trafficking between 1 July 2009 and 31
July 2010; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
CW341E
REPLY:
The South African Police Service achieved successes in arresting persons
and/or groups involved in child and female trafficking and the relevant
details are as follows:
1. East London, the Eastern Cape: Two girls, 15-years-old and 16-years-
old respectively, were rescued in East London, and one adult male was
arrested and is in police custody. The matter is still in court.
2. Project Saartjie was also registered in the Eastern Cape. It involved
victims between the ages of 16 and 23. From December 2009 to March
2010 six adult males were arrested and they are still in police
custody. The case is still in court.
3. Ermelo, Mpumalanga: Eight adult males were arrested following a
police raid and 19 female victims were rescued. Unfortunately one of
them was murdered after refusing witness protection. The matter is
still in court and the suspects are still in police custody.
4. Heilbron, Free State: One adult male was arrested and a 14-year-old
girl was rescued. The matter is still in court.
6. Bloems Sepepruit, Free State: Two victims, 15-years-old and 17-years-
old respectively, were rescued and one adult woman was arrested. The
suspect is out on bail. The matter is still in court.
7. Welkom, Free State: Four victims, 16-years-old and 18-years-old
respectively, were rescued. Five adult males were arrested. The matter
is still in court.
8. Reitz, Free State: Three victims, between the ages of 16 and 17,
were rescued. One adult male and two women were arrested. The accused
are out on bail.
9. Silverton, Gauteng: A nine-year-old Mozambican national was rescued
and she is under witness protection. She was used as a domestic
worker. The matter is with the DPP for a decision to be made (The
mother gave her child to a prominent family for child minding in
return for taking her to school, but that did not happen).
Reply to question no 269 approved by the Minister