A George woman accused of being a sex trafficker will spend Christmas behind bars after she was busted by the Hawks this week.
Nontobeko Mathunjwa, 34, made her first appearance in the George Magistrate’s Court on Monday following an investigation into her plans to sell women into prostitution using escort websites.
It is alleged that she trafficked women from West Africa into the Western Cape by smuggling them in shipping containers.
Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi, says the Hawks swooped on Mathunjwa on Saturday after receiving a tip-off earlier in the week about women being held at a residential complex.
Vukubi explains: “The Hawks based in George arrested a 34-year-old female suspect for her alleged involvement in trafficking in persons.
“Her arrest follows after the Hawks received information on Wednesday, 13 December, that three young girls had been trafficked from West Africa into South Africa a few months ago inside a shipping container.
“They were allegedly given fake passports. Information was that the girls were advertised on an escort website and were kept in a residential complex in George.”
He says the Serious Organised Crime Investigation team conducted a search at the property and found four women who they suspect had been trafficked into the country.
“The victims who are between the ages of 21 and 47 were rescued and kept in a place of safety after they were taken for medical assessment.
“The suspect, who is allegedly the caretaker on the premises, was arrested.”
Mathunjwa appeared in the George Magistrate’s Court on Monday where she was informed she faced charges of contravening the Prevention and Combating of the Trafficking in Persons Act and the case was postponed to 22 January for a formal bail application.
Earlier this year, a research report compiled by the South African Anti-Money Laundering Integrated Task Force (Samlit) on modern slavery and human trafficking showed the Western Cape reports the highest number of cases in the country.
It included statistics by the National Prosecuting Authority which showed that during 2021, there were 79 ongoing prosecutions which consisted of 53 cases of sex trafficking, five cases of forced marriage, four labour cases and 17 cases listed as other forms of trafficking.
In the sex trafficking cases, the victims were 163 male, 226 female and 11 of unknown gender. Of these, 331 were adults and 64 were children.
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