DURBAN – Unscrupulous people are always lurking amongst us seeking to prey on the vulnerable and desperate members of the community. These devious individuals seeks to capitalize on the fact that there are many jobseekers out there. They would also masquerade as prospective employers knowing very well that once they have reeled in interested individuals they would then turn on them and use them for their benefit. Such was the case when five women aged between 19 and 27 were lured from Johannesburg to Durban on a promise of a lucrative job opportunity.

The ladies alleged that one of them met an individual in Johannesburg who told her about this job opportunity in Durban which would require her working at a Call Centre where they would be selling sim cards to the elite in the society. The individual asked the lady to recruit more females for this job opportunity. He went as far as going to her mother explaining the legitimacy of the job offer and was in possession of what looked like authentic documentation to back up his claims. The lady and her mother were sold on the idea and she then convinced four more ladies, some of which were relatives, to take up the job offer. The five boarded a bus paid for by their prospective employers from Johannesburg on Monday evening, 28 February 2022 and arrived in Durban on Tuesday morning. They were picked up from the bus terminal and driven to a very luxurious house in Durban North.  Upon arrival they were asked to freshen up and rest before meeting the boss who was going to outline the details of their work. Once they had arrived, one of the five ladies decided that she did not want to stay and she left as soon as they got to the house.

It was during the meeting with the boss where the story changed and they were informed that they were going to be involved in the sex trade business. They were instructed not to go to the front of the house where people might see them. The girls also alleged that even though upon arrival they were told that they can pick any room they want but that was not the reality and they were kept in one room where the curtains were always drawn. According to the ladies there was a time where the boss had called them in one by one and had touched them inappropriately. During the entire ordeal one of the ladies was able to surreptitiously use her phone to get help from the outside. This information reached the Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi who on Wednesday, 2 March 2022 led an operation which resulted in the rescue of the four ladies. A case docket for human trafficking was opened and handed over to the Hawks for further investigation.

Source: South African Police Service