Click here to listen to the mp3 advert for The Salvation Army's anti-human trafficking message

Click here to watch the footage taken by News24 at the Long Walk for Rhino's Mandela Day initiative at Robben Island School. (QVC donated Media Liaison to this initiative as part of its Mandela Day initiatives)

 Quo Vadis Communications on a field trip to KwaZulu Natal for client, Siyazisiza Trust.

Victoria Makalima, assistant Director for the Johnson and Johnson Burn Treatment Centre (left) and Roger Crawford, Executive Director, Worldwide Government Affairs and Policy for Johnson & Johnson (back right) happily assisted Nurse Ester Manson and clinical officer William Kalua from Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi throughout their two-week specialised training session at the Burn Treatment Centre at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. The training took place as a result of a public private partnership between the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Johnson & Johnson, and the University of North Carolina in USA. The hospital in Malawi recently opened a burn unit and the hands-on training Ester and William received at the leading burn treatment centre in Africa, will no doubt make a huge difference in the lives of those in need.

Released: July 2011

Human trafficking is still a serious problem in South Africa, says one of South Africa’s leading experts in the field. 

Major Marieke Venter, The Salvation Army’s Divisional Director for Women's Ministries and its Anti-Human Trafficking Task Team, was referring to the incident involving two Chinese women who have been rescued by police in Cape Town after being brought to South Africa under false pretences and forced to work as prostitutes.

Major Venter said: “South Africa appears to be the destination country for men, women and children subjected to forced labour and human trafficking and The Salvation Army objects to this injustice.

“Some of these victims are trafficked within the country, from poor rural areas to urban centres such as Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.” 

According to Major Venter, traffickers control victims through intimidation and threats, use of force, confiscation of travel documents and forced use of drugs and alcohol.

“Young women are subjected to sex trafficking and domestic servitude while young boys are forced to work in street vending, food service, begging, criminal activities and agriculture.”

Continuing its ongoing fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children and women, The Salvation Army urges South Africans to report cases of trafficked men, women and children to its 24-hour toll free hotline number, 08000 RESCU (08-000-73728) sponsored by Be Heard™.

“The toll free hotline is a platform for anyone with tip-offs on all suspected human trafficking cases to report them to The Salvation Army,” said Major Venter.

Alternatively, members of the public can make use of The Salvation Army’s SMS service by SMSing the keyword TRAFFIC to 42290 at a cost of R30. This will go towards assisting the institution’s centres for abused women and children, as a result of human trafficking, and the protection of the victims.

The Salvation Army acts on behalf of the community in providing a better quality of life for those in need. It has developed numerous programmes to assist women and children who have been abused and therefore continually seeks to promote Christian family values, in order to prevent such abuse.

In addition to its work regarding human trafficking, The Salvation Army has feeding schemes, centres for abused women, offers protection to the victims of human trafficking and abuse, and fights for the lawful prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes.

Last changed: Aug 08 2011 at 10:20 AM