Unabridged birth certificates will not necessarily combat child trafficking, Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom told delegates at an international conference last week according to an IOL report.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association’s annual global conference in Cape Town on Thursday.
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According to the report, Minister Hanekom said most child traffickers were in South Africa and moved children illegally across the borders into neighbouring states.
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Currently, the law requires children under the age of 18 travelling to, through and out of South Africa to produce an unabridged birth certificate or the equivalent thereof. If both parents are not travelling with the child, additional documents are required.
“We are working furiously to change the law,” said the Minister. “We are in constant dialogue with other government departments and Home Affairs to create easier access.”
Expressing frustration that the regulation was still in place, David Frost, Satsa CEO, said: “We were told that it was going to be scrapped in October and they are just filibustering.”
