The Stumbling Block: South African Police Service, and Non-Governmental Organisations Perspective on Human Trafficking in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

Human trafficking is not a recent phenomenon. Acts of human abduction for illicit intentions are believed to have been occurring since time immemorial. In South Africa, human trafficking remains a huge threat to peace and security and violates the human rights of all affected individuals. The South African Police Service (SAPS) and relevant non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are two of the systems that should not stint their efforts in addressing this crime. In light of the aforementioned, this study explored i) the frequency of human trafficking occurrences in a month, ii) the effectiveness of the legislature in addressing human trafficking, iii) challenges faced by SAPS in addressing human trafficking, and iv) lastly, the strategies for curbing human trafficking in the city of Durban. The study adopted a qualitative research design with semi-structured one-on-one interviews used for data collection. Purposive sampling was used to select the nine (9) participants drawn from the SAPS and NGOs. The collected data were analysed using the inductive thematic analysis. It is envisaged that this study will be significant in assisting relevant structures such as the SAPS and NGOs in devising new and effective strategies to respond to human trafficking in Durban.