The Sunday News
Thupeyo Muleya , Beitbridge Bureau
VICE-President Kembo Mohadi has called for increased co-operation between Government and its partners in mobilising resources to fight human trafficking along the country’s borders.
He said the scourge of human trafficking was still relatively an unknown crime and that not many insights have been developed concerning it due to the underground nature of its criminal activities.
Vice-President Mohadi said the Government was already seized with fighting the crime and that an inter-ministerial committee had been set up to deal with the crime in line with the four pillars which include prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships.
The committee, he said was chaired by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage and made up of actors from line ministries and various Government partners. He was speaking at an event to mark the commemoration of the World Anti-Trafficking in Persons held at Dulivhadzimo Stadium in Beitbridge yesterday.
“It is sad to note that human trafficking is still a relatively unknown crime and not much insights have been developed concerning this crime due to the underground nature of its criminal activities.
There is a need to generate knowledge on human trafficking to ensure increased public awareness of this ever-changing scourge. There are three most common types of human trafficking which are sex trafficking, forced labour and debt bondage. Forced labour is perhaps the biggest of trafficking in the world.
“Allow me to reaffirm the Zimbabwean Government’s unflinching commitment in the fight against human trafficking as captured in our vision 2030 and the Sona by His Excellency Cde Mnangagwa in which the human capital development and social protection systems are key narratives requiring urgent strengthening.
As leaders we acknowledge and observe that we live in a contaminated moral environment in which man is essentially a beast when left to his designs and thoughts”.
Vice-President Mohadi said the fight against human trafficking was not Government’s baby alone but needed collaborations from all levels of the society. He said every year millions of children, women and men fall into the hands of traffickers, lured by fake promises of employment and all sorts of deceit.
“Zimbabwe is committed to advancing action to bring traffickers to justice while protecting and supporting victims. The rights of the victims must come first — be they the victims of traffickers, smugglers, or modern forms of slavery or exploitation. Government is furthermore committed to enhancing prosecution of traffickers and has enacted laws that criminalise all forms of human trafficking and prescribe sufficiently stringent sentences,” said the Vice-President.
He said protection efforts have empowered individuals to move beyond their victimisation and rebuild their lives with dignity, security and respect.
He said the scourge of human trafficking was an open wound on the body of society.
“This year’s World Day against trafficking in persons campaign focuses on ‘responding to the trafficking of children and young people’. This campaign highlights the fact that almost all trafficking victims are children. Hence, the theme draws attention to the issues faced by trafficked children and to possible action initiatives linked to safeguarding and ensuring justice for child victims,” said the Vice-President.
