JOHANNESBURG - A false promise of a better life by their mother’s lover is how two children found themselves in Malawi.
The nine- and 15-year-olds found themselves in a foreign land after their mother’s boyfriend allegedly lured them and their grandmother to the country with the promise of a better life.
Upon their arrival in 2024, their passports were allegedly confiscated and they were held captive in the country.
After almost two years, the mother and grandmother were bussed back to South Africa. Upon arrival, they alerted authorities that the two girls were still in captivity.
Retelling their ordeal through social workers, the girls said they were neglected and deprived of food. They were reportedly moved from one place to another in order to confuse them.
During the two years they were in the country, they did not attend school.
“They have gone through a lot of trauma,” said the Department of Social Development Director-General, Siza Mangangoe.
The girls, who are happy to be home, were repatriated to South Africa on Monday. According to the Social Development Department, 22 trafficked children have been successfully repatriated to date.
“It looks like there is a syndicate targeting women with promises of work, businesses and the like,” said Minister Dina Pule.
“We are still monitoring it,” she said.
Pule has called on women to be careful about who they trust with their children. No arrests have been made, but investigations are continuing.