Two girls aged nine and fifteen have been safely returned to South Africa after being identified as trafficking victims by the department of social development.
According to Sandy Godlwana, spokesperson for the department of social development, the girls and their family will receive support to ensure their safe reunification and recovery. The girls were part of a family who, in October 2024, were lured to Malawi with promises of a better life according to information provided to law enforcement authorities. Their passports were allegedly confiscated, their movements restricted, they were exposed to abuse and received insufficient food. The girls were rescued by Malawian authorities on nine July 2026 and placed in a place of safety. Following cooperation between South African and Malawian authorities, they were repatriated to South Africa on Thursday. Minister Dina Pule received them at OR Tambo International Airport and said human trafficking is a reality that takes place across borders.
The girls will be temporarily housed at a Khuseleka centre, where they will receive psychosocial support, protection and social services. The police have confirmed to the department that the case is still under investigation. The department has also appealed to the public to protect the girls' privacy and dignity.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
