The trafficking of children for purposes of sexual exploitation

The girls are not only used as sex workers but are also used as drug runners. These gangs are
usually involved in other income-generating activities besides drug trafficking and prostitution.
They are also involved in extortion, armed robberies, running shebeens and the mini bus taxi
business. These gangs are usually connected to prison gangs such as the 26s and 28s." 128
General consensus by those we spoke to in the SAPS i.e. investigating officers and members of the
CPU, is that parents and girls exploited in this way fear making statements because of intimidation
and threats to their lives. These fears are not unfounded as recent media reports in 2000 indicate the
violent murder and sexual assault of young girls by gangs, ostensibly as part of initiation rites.
There are also unconfirmed reports that trafficked girls have been found murdered in the places
where they are held captive.
A member of the CPU believes that the major difficulty that hampers both investigation of gang
involvement in child prostitution and prosecution of these gangs is the fear of intimidation and
reprisal. 129 Police officers quoted in newspaper reports also indicate that police find these factors
the biggest obstacles to arrest and prosecution. 130
2.1. Gangs, gangsters and girls in gangs
Reports about girls from the Cape Flats and their associations with gangs typically reflect one of
two scenarios. The girls are either peripherally involved and find it glamourous to be associated
with gangs as they
"are treated differently to what they are accustomed to at home. The gangsters will supply them with material goods
and food, luxuries that they are not used to, it might be the first time that they are taken to a 'fancy restaurant' like the
'Spur' or 'Steers' or taken to the Waterfront where they can get ice cream. They are made to feel special at a cost." 131
The second view on girls' associations with gangs come from those in gangs, where they are seen
from the perspective of the male gang members. Thus Douglas-Hamilton notes that
"Even though there are female gangsters, they are few and tend to be an adjunct of larger male gangs. For example
there is a female gang called the Naughty Girls however they fall under the command of the Naughty Boys. According
to the male gangs the purpose of the female gangs seem mainly to make themselves available for sexual favours,
conversely according to female gangs the male gangs 'treat us like shit.' " 132
As far as could be established the first record of a woman as a gangster dates to the 1950s when
Drum Magazine reported on District Six's lesbian gangster, Gertie Williams. 133 As far as is known
the first report of women in gangs dates to 1990, when NICRO reported on this phenomenon. The
NICRO report says that
"Although the number of women drawn into gangs is increasing, they wield no power. They are included because they
are personally involved with gangsters, or they may be dependent on drugs. They are also used to keep drugs and to
support and serve the gangsters. Often gang wars are started because a gang will fight over the 'ownership' of a
particular woman."
The report further notes that:
"In other cases women are actively involved in gang operations. For example, they may be used as spies or decoys.
Female gangsters have very little respect for anybody and seldom get respect from others." 134
The phenomenon of girls in gangs is not unique to the Cape Flats. Various reports indicate that
whereas girls were adjuncts to male gangs and in some cases still are, they have now become girl
128 Ibid
129 Discussion with CPU officer in January 2000
130 T. Olivier Die Burger Ibid
131 G. Rhodes: 'Child Sex Workers: Gangster Culture' in NASEC Conference Report p. 45
132 D. Douglas-Hamilton: Warriors of the Ghetto: Ganging as a rite of passage Dissertation submitted in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the B SOC SC (HONS) Degree in Criminology, Institute for Criminology, University
of Cape Town, 1995 p.14 footnote 7
133 Gevisser, M. and Cameron, E. (eds.) Defiant Desire, Ravan Johannesburg, 1995
134 NICRO and SJRP: Gangs: The Search for Self-Respect , Published by the National Institute for Crime Prevention
and Rehabilitation and the Social Justice Resource Project, Cape Town 1990 p.6
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