Effective Response to Human Trafficking in South Africa: Law as a Toothless Bulldog

Humanitarian concerns owing to the dreadfulness and impact of human trafficking prompted several stakeholders under the umbrella of the United Nations (UN) to approve legal measures to criminalize this menace. Several states that are parties to the UN anti-trafficking protocols and conventions have domesticated some of the provisions of these regulations by enacting comprehensive laws that criminalize the various components of human trafficking. Unfortunately, this approach has not brought about any significant reduction in the crime. This article adopted a qualitative approach and drew from the findings of a broader doctoral study. It evaluates the efficacy of current South African anti-trafficking legislation in the fight against human trafficking in the country. Findings indicate, among others, that anti-trafficking legislation is at best a stop-gap strategy in combating the crime, and not all-encompassing. It concludes that an effective response to human trafficking transcends the enactment of laws. Moreover, laws do not thrive in a vacuum, but rely on a range of factors, particularly the political will to address the underlying causes of a crime, and effective law enforcement capacity.