The Lobbyist who cried wolf.

This subject requires qualification before embarking on. For the record, let me state that a single human being trafficked, is one too many! The idea of vulnerable women and children facing extreme distress and abuse as result of the greed and lust of humankind can only cause a horror reflex in the response of any normal individual. Anecdotal evidence of exploitation of vulnerable workers by immigrant Chinese factory owners in South Africa, the media storm surrounding recent policy changes relating to Labour Brokers, and stories of Fictitious Employment Agencies in South Africa recruiting and enslaving citizens drawn by promises of a better life ( http://bit.ly/at8O6m ) point towards significant human rights abuses by a criminal element within South Africa. This is well documented.
However, in reference to recent shock-tactic emails circulating regarding hundreds of thousands, and in some versions millions of victims facing human trafficking in South Africa, let me say that the misrepresentations and exaggerations of data by lobbyists and campaigners discredit the cause of the hundreds of people trafficked in or from South Africa annually.
The educated public is no longer shocked by big numbers and shock predictions when it comes to environmental issues, health claims, politicians promises, nigerian scamsters', and sadly, lobbyists' exaggerated trafficking statistics. Or are they?
I encourage those who forward these trafficking emails to exercise caution and commonsense. By over guessing the prevalence of this activity will only sensitize the public to the issue and so harm the plight of the unknown number of victims.
The only credible study on the occurrence of Human Trafficking within the Southern African context, was recently carried out and published by Carol Allais of UNISA who states:-"... these huge numbers...are...alarmist and exaggerated. The number of people trafficked...is currently not known, but that the real figure is more likely to be in the hundreds than in the thousands..."
Let me again repeat that a single human being trafficked, is one too many! But the exaggeration of the real statistics by well meaning, but ill-informed lobbyists misrepresents the true nature of this crime, and cries wolf to the detriment of the real victims of this crime.