WATCH: Abahlali walk to remember Amahle

RESIDENTS are taking a stand against human trafficking.

On Saturday, 19 October, the world united for Walk for Freedom Day, raising awareness about the grim reality of human trafficking.

More than 350 000 participants in more than 500 cities globally took part, walking in single file lines, holding posters, and distributing flyers to inform the public about human trafficking and how to combat it.

In Ekurhuleni, participants walked from Ndaba Tree in KwaThema to Wright Park in Springs.

Organiser Nthabiseng Matee emphasised the importance of the event.

“We have human traffickers living among us. We have sisters who are lured by these traffickers with the promise of jobs, only to be captured into sex slavery.

“This walk is also to remember Amahle, who disappeared several years ago and hasn’t been found to this day,” Nthabiseng said.

Amahle, then eight years old, was kidnapped by a stranger while playing with other children in Tsakane more than five years ago.

A United Nations report highlights that kids are among the most detected trafficking victims.

The report further reveals that the number of boys trafficked has increased fivefold over the past 15 years, with girls primarily trafficked for sexual exploitation and boys for forced hard labour.