Babies smuggled into SA for grants

MBABANE – The Secretariat of Prevention of Human Trafficking and People Smuggling has warned parents of a growing trend where Swazi children are stolen and smuggled into South Africa.

Once there they are used to defraud that government into accessing their social grants.

Nomphumelelo Lukhele, who is the Head of the Secretariat, said they had been informed of two children aged three weeks and nine months respectively who were smuggled into South Africa. Lukhele said the two children have since been reunited with their mothers.

One of the children was found in Kokstaad in South Africa, said Lukhele.

She warned that the two criminal cases were motivated by financial gains.

In South Africa, a child under the age of 18 is entitled to a social grant of R270 per month.

One of the crimes happened in the Shiselweni region.

"The child was taken from its mother in the Shiselweni region and then transported to SA. We believe the sole intention of the perpetrators was to make money because in SA there are child grants, so it is a crime committed with the intention of making money," explained Lukhele.

Lukhele said the child who was stolen and smuggled in the Shiselweni region was three weeks old.

"The child was taken by a person who was familiar with the rest of the family, so it did not immediately raise suspicion. It was after a while that the possibility that the child could have been smuggled sank in. We are happy that we have managed to unite the baby with the mother," said Lukhele.

The second case was a nine-month-old baby who was stolen from the mother at the Mbabane Government Hospital.

"Human traffickers have become cunning in their trade, and that is why we would like to create awareness among people that traffickers are targeting children, and they are looking at schools, hospitals and other areas frequented by children. The second case is that of a nine-month-old baby who was taken from its mother at the Mbabane Government hospital. The baby was taken to Kokstaad in SA," added Lukhele.

In conjunction with the police suspects in the matter have been arrested and the cases are already proceeding in court.

She advised members of the public who suspect a human trafficking case in their area to visit the Human Trafficking Department at the PPCU Building at Hospital Hill in Mbabane or, alternatively, call the toll-free number 975.