Monograph 123: Getting to Grips with Trafficking. Reflections on Human Trafficking Research in South Africa, Robyn Pharoah
South Africa has committed itself to developing specialised
legislation to combat the trafficking of human beings within, to and
from South Africa. Between May and June 2006, the South African Law
Reform Commission (SALRC) invited public comment on draft trafficking
legislation; yet we still know relatively little about trafficking in
South Africa. There are no official statistics on trafficking. A
handful of studies on trafficking have been conducted but these have
been limited in size and geographical scope. The studies have also been
compromised by imprecise definitions and a bias towards sexual
exploitation, raising questions about their usefulness for policy
design. There has been no research on trafficking either for the
purposes of labour exploitation or for the harvesting of organs or body
parts. Information is thus urgently needed on:
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the extent of the problem, including the number of South Africans who are trafficked to other countries;
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the types of trafficking that exist in South Africa and the nature of the exploitation to which victims are subjected;
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the profile and motivations of victims and traffickers;
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the factors that contribute both to trafficking and to making
some individuals more vulnerable than others to being trafficked;
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the extent of prevention-related activities and support available to victims; and
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South Africans’ attitudes to, and knowledge of, trafficking.
The weaknesses in the South African data reflect problems in the
broader international literature on trafficking, which has largely
resulted from impassioned advocacy efforts rather than an interrogation
of the phenomenon. This is beginning to change. Growing criticism of
the prevailing discourse on trafficking and the demand for more concrete
information has seen the emergence of more critical analyses. These
provide valuable lessons for South Africa.
A small Finnish study on the implementation of trafficking legislation
by law enforcement personnel, as well as the generally fragmented and
often contradictory nature of the much of literature, underscores the
importance of basing research on clear, unambiguous definitions. The
evident politicisation of the international debate also highlights the
need for careful, dispassionate enquiry that examines assumptions over
the extent and nature of trafficking. More specifically, studies
suggest that South African research needs to examine trafficking
outside of the sex industry, as well as to:
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examine the linkages between different types of trafficking;
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consider the deeper, structural factors that create an environment conducive to trafficking;
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examine the wide range of trafficking arrangements that are
likely to exist, the different actors involved, and their motivations;
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study the implications of trafficking and ‘rescue’ for victims; and
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adopt more nuanced understandings of the problem that are
sensitive to the cultural and social contexts in which trafficking
occurs, recognise that ‘victims’ have agency, and explore how existing
and planned policies may affect anti-trafficking efforts.
Several international studies adopt innovative methodologies that
could help to improve the quality of future research and overcome some
of the difficulties associated with conducting research on hidden and
illegal issues such as trafficking. The successful combination of
quantitative and qualitative research methods – as well as borrowing
from ethnographic and population estimation techniques in the human and
biological sciences – suggest new, more rigorous ways of collecting
the quantitative data desired by policy makers while allowing for the
detailed examination of complex issues.
