SOUTH AFRICA'S RESPONSE TO 2009 TIP REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 001246 DEPT FOR G/TIP - KRONENBURGS AND AF/S - MARBURGJR E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2019 TAGS: KTIP ELAB KCRM KPAO KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG SF SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA'S RESPONSE TO 2009 TIP REPORT REF: STATE 60529 Classified By: Political Counselor Raymond L. Brown. Reasons 1.5 (b) a nd (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: PolCouns and Poloffs met with the Department of International Cooperation's (DICO) Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Chief Director Pitso Montwedi and Deputy Director Raymond Sithole on June 15 to deliver the final text of the 2009 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report on South Africa. Montwedi was glad for the upgrade to Tier Two and acknowledged that South Africa has work to do on fighting TIP. Media coverage to date includes spots in leading newswire service South African Press Association (SAPA), influential dailies Business Day and The Star as well as radio interviews. End summary. -------------- SAG RESPONSE -------------- ¶2. (C) Montwedi, who also represents DICO on the board of South Africa's Central Drug Authority, emphasized the linkage between TIP and narcotics trafficking in South Africa. In the context of the 2010 World Cup and the sex trade that skyrocketed in Germany during the last World Cup, he said, "We are very worried." He mentioned that the chairperson of South Africa's Central Drug Authority is seeking an urgent meeting with the CEO of the South African Football Association to discuss law enforcement and border security in the Southern African Development Community region in advance of the 2010 World Cup. Montwedi said we should expect to see a visible increase in law enforcement presence at border entry points. He lamented that South Africa still does not have a national prevention strategy that links TIP to drug abuse. He said he did not know whether the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill would be enacted by the end of the year. He noted that progress on passage of the Children's Amendment Act of 2007 is "moving along quite aggressively." Montwedi complained that the drafting of this legislation had been outsourced to consultancy companies as he felt it should have been kept within government. He said he would raise with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) the issue of differentiating between undocumented immigrants and trafficked persons. ¶3. (C) Montwedi explained that in the past the South African political leadership believed that legislation meant to protect vulnerable groups would be sufficient to address TIP. He claimed that politicians and government officials have realized that new legislation is needed to address the TIP crisis in today's world. He said the DHA and Department of Social Development should lead the effort to push anti-trafficking legislation through Parliament urgently. -------------- MEDIA RESPONSE -------------- ¶4. (U) Local media are taking interest in the 2009 TIP report on South Africa. Leading newswire service SAPA issued an article entitled, "SA Urged to Protect Children Ahead of Cup," which briefly describes the TIP report and mentions the 2010 World Cup context. Leading business daily Business Day published an article entitled, "SA Scores Higher in US Review of Human Trafficking," which includes positive and negative responses to the TIP report, including criticism for failing to assess the "qualitative impact" of trafficking on society. The Star published an article entitled, "SA Warned of 2010 Upsurge in Human Trafficking," which borrowed large excerpts from the TIP report. PolCouns participated in radio interview on Talk Radio 702 with listenership of 569,000 and on Channel Africa, which reaches south, east, central and Qon Channel Africa, which reaches south, east, central and west Africa as well as the sub-Saharan region. Post will continue to send media reaction for the TIP report to G/TIP. LA LIME