A woman was not kidnapped in a South African shopping centre, she was robbed

The video, which also surfaced on WhatsApp, has been shared hundreds of times on Facebook September 22, 2020, including here and here.

According to information at the start of the 83-second video, it was recorded as a Facebook Live from this account.

“This is real you guys, we’ve been joking about human trafficking, we’ve been joking about the abuse, gender-based violence, but I just experienced the shock of my life right now. I’m at the parking right now at Boulders Shopping Centre,” the man in the video says. 

“They just took guns, they pointed at everyone. I ran for my life. They took a lady just in front of me, an old person and now they left the kids. They took the lady, they put her in a Tiguan R, a white one, black tint the windows, guys this thing is real, the kids are crying right now, they don’t know where their mother went to (sic).”

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A screenshot taken on September 23, 2020 of the video from a Facebook post.

The claim comes at a time where human trafficking of women and children is a widely discussed topic in South Africa. 

AFP Fact Check recently debunked claims which had identified a street address as an alleged trafficking hotspot.

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In response to the shopping centre incident, the South African Police Service (SAPS) issued a statement rejecting the kidnapping claim.

“A video clip has surfaced on various social media platforms where an unknown man frantically claims to have witnessed the kidnapping of a woman at gunpoint at the Boulders shopping centre in Midrand,” it said in a statement on September 23, 2020.

The SAPS confirmed that they had responded to an incident at the Boulders Shopping Centre where a woman was allegedly robbed at gunpoint. 

The investigation suggests that two suspects in an SUV may have followed the woman from a bank where she had reportedly withdrawn a large amount of money. 

“The suspects are said to have accosted the victim in the basement parking at the shopping centre and demanded money from her at gunpoint. The suspects made off with the victim's handbag and other valuables. Both the woman and a six-year old child who was with her, were uninjured and are safe.”

The police warned against the continued spreading of false information related to human trafficking and kidnapping. 

“Police in Gauteng have noted with concern the continued peddling of fake news relating to human trafficking and/or kidnapping of women and children; and are cautioning the public against the incessant promotion and distribution of such malicious untruths.”

The shopping centre also confirmed the incident was a robbery. 

“A couple which had withdrawn a large sum of money at the Carlswald Lifestyle Shopping Centre in Midrand this afternoon was followed to the Boulders Shopping Centre and held up in the underground parking area. No shots were fired. The armed suspects managed to get away with the purse containing the money, a phone and passport,” it said in a statement on its official Facebook page.  

“A WhatsApp video purporting this incident to be related to child trafficking is false and misinformed. SAPS are on site and we are fully cooperating with the investigations.”

While numerous unverified claims of human trafficking have been shared in South Africa, a recent arrest by multiple crime-fighting organisations in the country show that the crime is a reality.

Five suspects were arrested on September 27, 2020 for the alleged human trafficking of women being used as prostitutes after raiding three brothels.

#sapsHQ Full Statement: Hawks arrest five suspects for alleged #HumanTrafficking in Kuruman and Rustenburg MEhttps://t.co/eAsSaGS1ZR pic.twitter.com/lfr6jsHuU7

— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) September 28, 2020

A 2020 report, Child Trafficking in South Africa: Exploring the Myths and Realities, warns that “in South Africa, child trafficking has become a central concern for both the state and non-state agencies”. 

“Although it is claimed that child trafficking is widespread, currently very little reliable data exists to determine the nature and scope of the problem in the country.”

According to the US 2020 Trafficking in Persons Report, South Africa’s government “does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so”.

“The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period; therefore South Africa was upgraded to Tier 2.”

The report says these efforts included increased investigations, prosecutions and convictions of traffickers, as well as within organised criminal syndicates that facilitated the crimes.