Child trafficking prevention campaign launched

Maranyane Ngwanaamotho,br>Staff Writer | Wednesday June 9, 2010 00:00

Speaking at the launch of the campaign in Gaborone yesterday, director of department of social services, Loeto Dilampi acknowledged that the launch came late regarding the fact that the region would be hosting massive events that have brought issues like increased demand for sex, which places  women and children in a vulnerable situation as they are the 'potential service providers'.

He said that the situation would be even worse in developing countries where people live in abject poverty, uneducated and where employment opportunities are limited.

However, he said the campaign is still relevant and would continue after the World Cup.  'But then, we will not want to be complacent because even after the passing of the World Cup, the demand for children as labourers, soldiers as well as sex workers across continents will still continue,' he said. 

Dilampi said that there is need for stakeholders to inform each other about the issue since Botswana, as a country, has not had enough opportunities and motivation to engage on the matter.

'This has been primarily due to the fact that Botswana has not been a receiving or sending country.  However, we still need to keep guard because there have been incidences where the country has been a transit point for the children who were trafficked,' he said. 

However, Dilampi said that the Ministry of Local Government has partnered with UNICEF and Childline to sensitise communities about child trafficking and to capacitate communities and the general public about how to prevent, detect, report and intervene where they suspect trafficking may have occurred.

He said they want to improve cooperation and coordination among stakeholders involved in the management of child trafficking and to develop national strategies to prevent child trafficking and human trafficking. 

Dilampi said that Botswana has ratified the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child, the Palermo protocol, the ILO convention and the ILO worst forms of child labour.  'These conventions seek member states to outlaw the incidence of exploitation and trafficking of children.  As a sign of commitment to the ideals of these international instruments, we domesticated their provisions through our children's act of 2009,' he said. 

However, Banneetse Keakile, station officer at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, said that as the police at airports, they are prepared for the World Cup, and that they will be on the look out for instances where child trafficking could occur. 

Maureen Tshosa, Inspector at Botswana Police Services said that the police are ready and would be on the look out for cases of human trafficking.  She said that some of the police have been sensitised or attended a workshop to be briefed about human trafficking and how to handle such cases.