Community Safety
Whether any arrests have been made in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2013 (Act 7 of 2013) in the province since promulgation in 2010; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
MINISTER OF COMMUNITY SAFETY TO REPLY
3. The South African Police Services informed me as follows:
The Western Cape, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) has not made any arrests in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act, Act 7 of 2013 and neither were any arrested persons charged in terms of this Act.
All the persons arrested for Human Trafficking related offences were arrested and charged in terms of legislation that deals with sexual offences.
[Usually charges are formulated in terms of the Child Care Act, Act 38 of 2005, the Sexual Offences Act, Act 23 of 1957/ Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Act, Act 32 of 2007.]
It deems mentioning that although the said Act (Act 7/2013) has been promulgated during 2010, the State President only signed the Act on 2013-07-29. Further hereto, the power to decide to charge arrested persons for specific charges is exercised by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
