The State Department has accused Pretoria of failing to take effective measures against traffickers
The US has placed South Africa on its human trafficking watch list, saying the country has failed to demonstrate progress in combating the crime. The move marks the latest flashpoint in uneasy ties between Washington and Pretoria in recent months.
The State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report, published on Monday, said Pretoria has not shown “overall increasing efforts” compared with the previous year and has therefore been placed on the Tier 2 Watch List. The report reviews how governments tackle forced labor, sex trafficking, and other forms of modern slavery worldwide, and its release came nearly three months late, reportedly due to staff cuts in the office that prepares it.
Brazil has also been added to the list, with the State Department citing a decline in prosecutions and convictions for trafficking there.
The report noted gains by South Africa, including its first sub-provincial task team and more convictions, but said poor coordination among agencies and delays in certifying victims left some without emergency shelter and services. The government also investigated fewer cases, and initiated fewer prosecutions, according to the document.
“The government did not take effective measures to prevent the inappropriate penalization of potential victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked,” it stated.
South Africa is said to be both a source and destination country for human trafficking, although the market is not considered particularly pervasive. The victims – mostly women and children – are exploited in sex trafficking, child labor, domestic servitude, illegal adoption, debt bondage, and the removal of body parts, according to the 2023 Global Organized Crime Index.
“Human trafficking is a horrific and devastating crime that also enriches transnational criminal organizations and immoral, anti-American regimes,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
He said the Trump administration is committed to “upholding American values” and protecting workers.
Relations between Pretoria and Washington have been strained since President Donald Trump returned to office in January. The White House has accused South Africa of discriminating against its white minority and has taken measures including halting all federal funding to the BRICS state.
