The Liaison Bishop for Migrants and Refugees office of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) has called on the faithful to be the “voice of the voiceless” to combat human trafficking in the region.

In a message shared with the SACBC Communication office to mark the Feast Day of St Josephine Bakhita, the patron saint of victims of human trafficking, Bishop Joseph Mary Kizito called on the faithful to dedicate the day to prayer to end the scourge of human trafficking.

“As we celebrate the Feast of Saint Bakhita today, we recall all those young men and women who have been trafficked, who have been stripped of their human dignity, the fundamental human rights, human trafficking is alive in our communities, therefore we are called to become activists, to become the voice of the voiceless,” said Bishop Kizito.

He called on parents and caregivers to raise awareness about human trafficking, especially among young people who account for half of the victims of human trafficking. “The society we are living in today is no longer safe for the young ones…. May we become the voice of the voiceless on this day of Saint Josephine Bakita, the patron saint for all those who are being trafficked,” said Bishop Kizito.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, February 8 the SACBC Counter Trafficking in Persons Office (CTIP) celebrated a special mass to mark the feast day of St Bakhita, the Sudanese nun who was enslaved as a girl and has become the symbol of the Church’s commitment against this scourge.

In an interview with the SACBC Communication office, the Malawi High Commissioner to South Africa Her Excellency Stella Chiripo Ndau called on the Catholic Church and other civil society organisations to work together to combat human trafficking.

Also, in attendance at mass to mark the Feast Day of St Bakhita was Karen Menkveld of A21 – A global anti-human trafficking organisation. According to Menkveld teenagers in South Africa are the main victims of human trafficking as they often “fall prey to traffickers online, and through social media platforms.”

The SACBC through the Counter Trafficking in Persons Office (CTIP) under the leadership of Sr Melannie O’Connor has provided “workshops at schools and parishes to raise awareness about human trafficking.”

According to Police Minister Bheki Cele an estimated 11 077 trafficking cases were reported in South Africa between December 2007 to January 2022.