Ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, I wrote about the proliferation of nonsensical media reports claiming 40,000 women would be trafficked into the country during that event. As I wrote then, “In the case of sex work, the unfounded hysteria about trafficking is diverting attention from the real issue: the need to ensure that the human rights, health and safety of sex workers in South Africa, and indeed in our neighboring countries, are respected and protected.”

Shortly after the tournament ended, NPR reported on the startling lack of incidences of trafficking, given all the scare-mongering: “… according to some prostitutes, the boost they expected during the World Cup hasn’t materialized. A woman who goes by the name Rose has worked on the streets of Cape Town for the past 17 years.” Rose tells NPR’s correspondent, “… World Cup, we didn’t make money. I don’t want to lie. Even if we go to the pubs, they will all just tell us: No, we are here for soccer not for sex.” The journalist Andreas Kelto, also interviews another sex worker, Ray:  “No, I didn’t make money, nothing. I only see my regular clients, my local regular clients. I never saw foreigner or nothing. I didn’t make even money.”

Then yesterday I was amused to read a report by a parliamentary monitoring group of a committee meeting of the South African Parliament’s Justice portfolio committee. Of interest is this exchange between an MP of the ruling party, the ANC,  and a government official. The gist of the exchange is this: no trafficking happened during the World Cup. It was all sensationalism. Here’s an extract:

Mr J Jeffery (ANC) asked if there were any trafficking instances that were detected and prosecuted during the 2010 World Cup.  Ms Lekubo-Wilderson replied that there were no trafficking cases that went to court.

The Chairperson said that there was a difference between detecting, and actually taking cases to court, and asked for an appropriate answer.  Ms Lekubo-Wilderson said that she was unsure of the position of the South African Police Services (SAPS), but that, if any crimes were detected, SAPS would have had to refer any cases to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for assessment. The Chairperson again asked if there were any cases of human trafficking detected. Ms Lekubo-Wilderson replied that there were none detected through the courts.  Mr Jeffery said that this answer was not satisfactory. Detection of instances would be done through SAPS and the DSD. He asked if there had been any reports from police or social workers. The Chairperson asked if, as a matter of fact, there were any cases of human trafficking that had, up until now, been detected.

Ms Lekubo-Wilderson replied that the Department of Labour had reported that this department had not detected any human trafficking, and DSD was busy compiling a report. The Chairperson interrupted and asked if it would be correct to say that to date, DOJ did not have any records of human trafficking. Ms Lekubo-Wilderson replied in the affirmative. The Chairperson said that the matter should be left at that point.

Of course the media left it long ago. They’ve moved onto something else. Aside from that NPR report, there’s been widespread media silence. Not one single headline blaring “Our Overblown Sensationalism Proves Unfounded!”