Paying lip service to the fight against slavery and human trafficking is dangerous, because it creates an illusion of progress while allowing underlying problems to persist. What is required is more concerted efforts to curb it, supported by advanced technology.

This is according to Adv Lawrence Muravha, Founder and Director of Regen Future, a non-profit organisation involved in the fight against modern slavery and human trafficking, and an associate of Bateleur Software.

Muravha says South Africa, like many other parts of the world, has witnessed a sharp rise in human rights violations and challenges.

“Inside and outside the borders of South Africa, awareness initiatives have become more prevalent thanks to cohesive efforts taken by various players involved in the fight against the scourge of modern slavery and human trafficking, simply referred to as MSHT,” he says.

“The establishment of the South African Money Laundering Integrated Task Force (SAMLIT) was a major milestone to lift the veil of bureaucracy in addressing the problem of MSHT through a public private partnership initiative. The SAMLIT report, titled: “Follow the Money”, released in 2023, showed that human trafficking generates an estimated $150 billion worldwide per year, with a significant portion of these proceeds passing through legitimate financial services businesses. It also indicated that South Africa has the highest number of reported cases, when compared to other southern African countries,” he says.

“Human trafficking can present risks to business in its own operations, within global supply chains and among business partners, including, for example, private employment agencies. There can be a legal risk because human trafficking is a crime in most countries in the world and a serious threat to brand or company reputation.”

Muravha says in South Africa, some tangible measures have been implemented in an effort to address MSHT. “These efforts have concentrated within the financial sector. However, other impacted sectors are yet to implement sufficient measures to create awareness of MSHT and how such businesses are impacted by it through supply chain and related processes,” he says.

Lizette Sander, Account Manager, Bateleur Software, notes that an anti-financial crime solution such as Siron One, which offers a combination of AI and rules, can play a vital role in combating human trafficking. Transaction monitoring software can help uncover human trafficking by identifying patterns of financial activity commonly associated with such illicit operations. It should be configured to flag the potential red flags related to human trafficking, including frequent cash transactions under reporting thresholds, merchant categories such as massage parlours, and transactions from countries with known trafficking activity.”

Muravha says: “By improving their ability to identify and report suspicious transactions, organisations can play a key role in disrupting the financial flows that support modern slavery and human trafficking, while also protecting vulnerable populations.”

Collaboration should also be stepped up across industries to combat these crimes, says Muravha. “The fight against modern slavery and human trafficking requires a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach. Collaboration among key stakeholders is crucial to address the root causes, rescue victims and prosecute perpetrators. Each stakeholder has a unique role to play, and only through sustained, co-ordinated efforts can the global community make meaningful progress in eradicating these crimes. Creating platforms for relevant stakeholders to discuss issues related to human trafficking in South Africa is crucial to building a co-ordinated and effective response. These platforms would bring together a range of actors, such as government bodies, law enforcement, NGOs, civil society, the private sector and international organisations to share information, collaborate on strategies and provide support to victims,” he says.