[Image: X / @sa_crime]
A former human trafficker and reformed drug addict stood before the Geluksdal community in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni, dropping brutal truths about her past life—one that saw her luring young girls straight into the hands of an alleged Nigerian trafficking syndicate.
At a human trafficking awareness event hosted by the Gauteng Legislature, the young mother—who chose to remain anonymous—spilled the details of how she once worked as a recruiter, prowling the streets in Kempton Park and surrounding areas for vulnerable girls, all while battling her own addiction, per IOL.
“For more than five years since I was 19 years old, I worked. I even recruited young girls in Cape Town, whereafter, realising that this work is dangerous, I decided to call it quits and travelled back from Cape Town to Johannesburg. Our target was mostly young girls who were hooked on cheap drugs,” the mother of two said.
She admitted that they’d bait the girls with promises of better drugs, and once they were in, there was no way out. They became products—traded, used, and paid in more drugs.
Motherhood proved to be her wake-up call.
“I lived a rebellious life and as a mother, over time, I realised that this is not the life I wanted for myself and my children. I have been two years clean now and was recently united with my daughter, which is still work in progress, and am glad that after 12 years of this life, I am now two years sober and clean,” she added.
The crowd at the Geluksdal Community Hall wasn’t just listening—they were nodding in grim recognition that the plight of human trafficking wasn’t some distant horror story; it was their reality.
Ali Gule, a community leader, took the mic with his own scars to show, revealing how his niece had been trafficked years ago.
“As parents, we are not talking enough to our kids about this crime. It is an open secret that these syndicates use other girls to steal and traffic our girl children. My community network goes to high schools around the area to create awareness because kids hide their whereabouts and when in trouble, they contact us.
“I am doing this because my family is also a victim of human trafficking after my sister’s child was abducted a few years ago. To this day, we do not know where she is. We have reached out to the police and tried everything, and the family does not cope, especially on her birthday,” Gule said.
Portia Brink, a mother and activist, painted another chilling scene of her daughter who was targeted when out buying a kota (street food). She said a car suddenly stopped on the street, and men came out of the car in an attempt to abduct her.
“I do not know what would have happened had my daughter not survived the attempt. I still ask myself because it could have been any other child. She could not speak after this incident. All I heard as she was running were her screams and heavy footsteps as she was fleeing.
“What surprised me the most is the behaviour and attitude of the police when we went to report the matter. The police demanded that we give them the number plate of the car. How was she supposed to know the number plates in such a state?” she said.
Bishop Dulton Adams, chairperson of committees under the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, promised to fight against this scourge through an awareness march and more campaigns across the province. He noted how there are four Ps of human trafficking that need to be activated in order to deal with the rampant issue.
“One of the Ps is partnerships. We must strengthen partnerships as this would be a bad indictment if we do not continue this movement. We must move together to put an end to this scourge, and we will do this by organising one of the biggest pushback marches where all of us will send a clear message to these perpetrators that your days are numbered,” he stated.
[Source: IOL]
