2010 World Cup could increase human trafficking in South Africa

U. S. Ambassador to South Africa, Luis CdeBaca warned that human trafficking could increase in the country with the coming of the 2010 World Cup. Already within the country girls are trafficked for sexual exploitation, while young boys are are forced into street vending or food service.

From South Africa's News 24, we read more of the ambassador's comments.

"With the 2010 we might see an uptake of prostitution and brothels moving closer to the sites... pimping of children is also on the cards," he said at a Pretoria briefing on human trafficking.

He said 12.3 million people across the world had been victims of trafficking, according to a 2008 report released in June this year.

"Most of the victims were lured by traffickers offering jobs, once in a foreign country they were abused and left with no protection."

He said destitute men, women and children were kept as slaves, or worked as domestic workers or farm labourers, and at times were forced into prostitution to earn money for their traffickers. He said law enforcement agencies need to work with civil society to combat human trafficking.

"Police concentrate on prostitution and not trafficking... these women were first victims of trafficking and forced into prostitution."