By Makhosazana Radebe
The Durban beachfront was abuzz on Saturday morning as hundreds of people gathered at the Suncoast Lawns for the annual 5km Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Walk, hosted by the Durban University of Technology (DUT), the DUT Gender Forum, and the Umgeni Community Empowerment Centre (UCEC).
Scores of participants carrying bright banners could be seen moving about in high spirits, warming-up, and showing a spirit of solidarity as the walk was more than just a fitness event. It was a call to action against one of the most urgent human rights crises facing South Africa and the world, human trafficking.
Gloria de Gee, founder and director of UCEC, set the tone as she addressed the crowd saying the centre would continue echoing the voices of victims concerning the scourge of human trafficking.
“We will not be silent, we will not be indifferent. We will not stop raising our voices until human trafficking is brought to an end. Friends, as we set off, as we walk today, let us remember that every step taken is in solidarity with those who cannot be free today,” she said.
The walk drew a diverse crowd, from students, community members, families, to activists, emphasising the need for communities to lookout for each other.
“I keep coming back because awareness saves lives. Human trafficking is often hidden in plain sight, and this walk reminds us that as a community we must look out for each other,” explained Sithandokuhle Mkhize who has attended the walk for the past four years.
One of the DUT students, Wandile Xulu, explained that the walk connected advocacy with education. “Participating gave me a sense of responsibility. As young people, we can’t be silent. I’m here because I want to use my voice to expose injustice,” he explained.
Organisers of the walk emphasised that each step carried a larger message of resistance and hope. Ordinary people, walking side by side, can spark extraordinary change.
