A United States State Department report has stated that men from Lesotho are also subjected to labour trafficking, particularly in the mining and textile sectors.

SAFTU says it is alarming how hundreds of women are abducted and brought into the country undetected, with little to no oversight or suspicion that could trigger investigations.

The report comes at a time, when SA is celebrating Women's Month, to shine the spotlight on the plight of women in Southern Africa.

“The exploitation of vulnerable working-class women is unchecked, leaving them trapped in trafficking rings, clinging to the hope of a better life. The vulnerability is exacerbated by the deteriorating socio-economic conditions in both Lesotho and SA, in which the search for jobs and income makes people desperately search for jobs. This harsh reality makes it easier for traffickers to prey on their vulnerabilities,” Media Officer at SAFTU, Mogoshadi Maserumule said.

The report says traffickers are recruiting victims from neighbouring countries and rural areas in SA, largely bringing them to some of the country’s largest cities, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Bloemfontein.

--ChannelAfrica--