South Africa dismisses US lawmakers’ bid to review relations
The Namibian / President Hage Geingob chats with American senator Jeff Flake of Arizona and his wife Cheryl after they paid a courtesy call on him at State House last Friday.
Namibian president Hage Geingob on Friday blasted the American delegation to Namibia, questioning their report released last year, which claimed that Namibia has a high incidence of human trafficking.
Geingob was responding to senator Ben Cardin’s comments on the unacceptable rating of Namibia as per Trafficking In Persons Report (TIP) by the American embassy.
Cardin (who represents Maryland) was part of the US delegation visiting Namibia, which included senator Jeff Flake (Arizona), senator Thad Cochran (Mississipi), senator Chrispher Coons (Delaware), and congressman Adam Schiff of California.
The group, which came to Namibia in regards to wildlife conservation were accompanied by their wives.
Cardin, who also praised Geingob for dealing with different challenges of co-existence, urged Namibia to deal with this high level of human trafficking and child labour.
“Your rating has been unacceptable and my embassy has explained that you have taken steps to improve that. I just want to highlight that, because I know that we share the same vision to get rid of this activity.
“I just want to urge you to take attention to how prosecution is done, so that there is a clear signal to those who participate that it won’t be tolerated here,” he said, adding that they would provide the President with the report and all information pertaining to it.
Geingob reacted, saying that he keeps hearing of the report and it shocks him because Namibia is presented as if it is involved in human trafficking.
“I would like you to work with us because I would like to challenge some of these reports. Definitely, because if somebody is stranded and they take a lift from a truck as they do normally and later that somebody demands payment from you, what are you going to do? But even that, I would like to see where it is rampant. Because I really question that,” he said.
Deputy prime minister and international relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said her ministry has seen the report but what has been reported are unverified facts.
“As a government, we do not agree [with these reports]. This is why we are saying we would want the government of the United States to make money available to us, so that we can understand what it is that constitutes trafficking of persons and child labour.
“If a child is asked to go and collect fire wood or collect water at the water point. A child who is in a homestead just doing their household activities, for that to be seen as child labour? That is why we ask, let us understand your interpretation of child labour and women trafficking,” she said.
The Namibian last year reported that the TIP report found that children from Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe were subjected to prostitution, forced labour in the fishing sector, or forced labour in organised street vending in Windhoek and other cities.
Angolan children, in particular, may be brought to Namibia to herd cattle or to sell drugs, the report states.
According to the report, last year, Angolan women were forced into prostitution in Namibia and a Namibian was identified as a trafficking victim in South Africa.
“There were reports of exploitative labour perhaps including forced labour involving foreign adults and Namibian adults and children in Chinese-owned retail, construction, and fishing operations,” the report noted.
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