Durban - A Durban mom has urged parents to be cautious when taking their children out. Tina Lia took to social media to tell how she and her three children were followed around by suspicious people at a beach in Durban North.
Lia said she parked in a busy parking area and three men followed them everywhere they went.
“We walked on the sand and the kids wet their feet, and there one was in the distance. I could see something was up,” said Lia.
She added that luckily a man approached her and told her to quickly get into her car.
She said that after starting her car, she saw all three men regrouping and walking together, while continually looking back at her car.
“People, especially mums with kids, must be vigilant all the times,” said Lia.
Parents have been urged to be cautious and vigilant of child-trafficking syndicates.
According to Katie Modrau, a development manager for the A21 campaign, South Africa is not immune to human trafficking.
Modrau said the crime’s insidious nature meant it often didn’t get recognised for what it was, and often went unreported.
She said child-trafficking victims were often recruited and groomed over time, usually by people close to their families and in their trusted circle.
“Trafficking operates on supply and demand. Children are not only in demand in paedophilia rings and for child sex tourism, but also in certain agricultural and mining industries,” said Modrau.
Last week, a video on social media showed a businessman tackling an alleged kidnapper as he tried to grab a 4-year-old girl at a restaurant in Joburg. The alleged attacker was arrested. According to Modrau, the Global Slavery Index 2018 estimated that there were 155 000 people living in modern slavery in South Africa.
“To date, our hotline has seen 181 rescues since its inception in August 2016,” she said.
The Mercury