Nomasonto Khoza, the mother of a one-year-old toddler, and her two accomplices appeared at the Nelspruit magistrates’ court on Thursday, charged with human trafficking. The 25-year-old mother sold the child for R5,000 in Springs to 45-year-old Thobile Ndhlovu. The accused remain in custody until bail is paid. The case has been postponed to 17 February. Human trafficking affects countless victims around the world. The methodologies used to arrive at estimates about its nature and extent have been criticised as flawed or lacking in scientific rigour. In South Africa, claims by anti-trafficking campaigners and NGOs report that 30,000 children are trafficked into the country annually as part of the sex trade. The same figure has been used by the Department of Home Affairs to justify visa regulations aimed at combating child trafficking. The number of cases being reported suggests it is on the increase in South Africa. See also: http://theconversation.com/human-trafficking-in-south-africa-an-elusive-statistical-nightmare-43949