1 October 2025 | 10:14 CAT
1-minute read

Image: InSight Crime

The US State Department has placed South Africa on its Tier 2 Human Trafficking Watch List, citing reduced prosecutions and weaker victim protection.

In an interview on Radio Islam International, criminologist Dr Simon Howell, suggested that placing South Africa on a watch list is a partly political act that masks deficiencies in enforcement and accountability at home. He argues the case underscores how little verified evidence exists to support dramatic claims about the country’s trafficking role.

Dr Howell emphasises that while South Africa’s transport infrastructure and organised crime networks lend it the capacity to act as a trafficking gateway, it is unwise to accept sweeping declarations without better evidence.

“I don’t think it’s as big an issue as people may present it as.”

He notes that absent secure, consistent data, prosecutions and major trials are rare.

“There have been strides and there has been progress in terms of dealing with the organised criminal element of human trafficking. But equally, there have been issues around crime intelligence and the like and the systemic issues within SAPS, which are currently in the spotlight, which have ultimately undermined ongoing attempts to deal with this in a concerted effort.”

Dr Howell cautions that unless prosecutions become more strategic and resilient rather than sensational, the gap between the law and enforcement will widen.

“It is not an easy undertaking … it requires a multi-levelled, multi-agency type of approach that also relies on international cooperation.”

South Africa first gained international attention on trafficking in the early 2010s, when in 2013 the government passed its Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act. In that same year, three traffickers were convicted and 12 suspects prosecuted.

On Monday, the US State Department placed South Africa on Tier 2 in its Trafficking in Persons Report, citing reduced victim identification, fewer investigations and shrinking prosecution efforts.

Advocates warn that watch list status carries risks: potential loss of foreign aid, reputational damage, and increased diplomatic friction. Analysts propose strong interagency co-ordiantion between police, labour, immigration and customs to dismantle trafficking rings.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Junaid Kharsany.