Man tries to sell son for $2 000
2008-07-03 13:30
Maputo - A Mozambican man has been arrested for trying to sell his 16-year-old son for about $2 000, state media has reported.
According to the daily Noticias a man only identified as A Mandlate from Chibuto district, about 200km north of Maputo, was arrested after he tried to sell his son to anyone willing to take the boy to South Africa.
Police spokesperson Jeremias Langa told the paper that Mandlate was arrested after his prospective client alerted police officers. He said the child, who had since been taken into the care of social welfare, was refusing to be reunited with his family.
Human trafficking from Mozambique increased recently. Since January police rescued about 100 children allegedly being trafficked to South Africa, where they ended up working as prostitutes or in underpaid jobs in the informal sector.
Last month, Mozambican president Armando Guebuza signed into laws anti-trafficking laws, which were approved by Parliament early this year.
- SAPA