Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read | 31 October 2025 | 11:45 CAT

📸 The Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) launched its Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign at OR Tambo International Airport, spotlighting the fight against exploitation and organised crime.

A Human Trafficking Awareness Activation, hosted at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday afternoon, has placed renewed focus on South Africa’s ongoing battle against human trafficking. The event, led by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Chair of Committees, Dalton Adams, formed part of Human Trafficking Awareness Month under the 2025 UNODC theme, “Human Trafficking is Organized Crime and Exploitation.”

Adams described the awareness drive as an “awesome experience” and a necessary intervention to “make a major impact at Gauteng’s main port of entry.” He emphasized that human trafficking has become a “massive, massive problem” in communities across the province, saying, “It has become a plague. I chose human trafficking and kidnapping as my core social program because it affects our families, our women, and our children daily.”

The initiative brought together key law enforcement and civic stakeholders, including the Hawks, the NPA, the judiciary, and civil organizations such as Act and Brave Life, alongside the Departments of Community Safety and Social Development. Adams underscored the importance of collaboration, stating, “No one organization can fight human trafficking alone. There’s got to be a collective, everybody taking hands together to engage and fight this massive scourge.”

Thousands of travelers and airport staff were reached during the campaign, which featured live addresses and public engagement sessions within the terminal. OR Tambo long identified as a major hub for trafficking networks was chosen strategically for the campaign. Adams explained, “We spoke to aviation staff, ground staff, pilots, and the public passing through. It wasn’t just about speeches, it was about real engagement and awareness.”

However, Adams was adamant that awareness alone is not enough. “We must move beyond awareness to implementation,” he stressed, urging government departments to act decisively to reduce vulnerabilities created by “unemployment, inequality, and poverty.”

He also highlighted the urgent need to improve rehabilitation for survivors. “Government is not doing enough to deal with post-trauma. Victims suffer secondary trauma when there’s no proper support,” he warned. Adams called for more safe houses and reintegration programs to help survivors rebuild their lives.

As South Africa continues to serve as a key transit route with victims trafficked from East Africa to destinations across Asia and the Middle East Thursday’s activation served as both a warning and a call to collective action. “We must say no to trafficking and mean it,” Adams concluded.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Dalton Adams.