Zim to mark World Day Against human Trafficking

The silhouette of the hand

Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE will today hold a belated commemoration of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, as part of Government’s efforts to fight human trafficking in the country.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs Mr Melusi Matshiya said the commemorations, which will be held at the Large City Hall in Bulawayo were meant to raise public awareness on crime, human trafficking as well as anti-trafficking laws in the country.

The United Nations general assembly adopted a resolution to combat human trafficking on December 18, 2013 proclaiming July 31 every year as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons with the objective of raising awareness on human trafficking and coming up with coordinated and consistent measures to defeat the scourge.

Mr Matshiya, who is also the chairperson of the anti-trafficking inter-ministerial committee, was addressing journalists during a press conference yesterday ahead of the commemorations today “The main objective of the commemorations is to raise awareness on the human trafficking and the anti-trafficking laws. We have chosen Bulawayo to host the national event, which will be preceded by a march consisting of members of the public, school children, teachers and Government officials.

“Zimbabwe is a source, transit and destination country for victims to human trafficking. There are Zimbabweans who fall victim to human trafficking either within our borders or across international boundaries,” said Mr Matshiya.

He said it was sad that people were being recruited from Zimbabwe and other countries to destinations where they are exploited.

“It has to be understood that human trafficking takes two distinct forms, internal and transnational trafficking. Internal trafficking is when victims are recruited and exploited within our borders and transnational is when victims are recruited within our borders and go on to be exploited in other countries.

“I’m inviting members of the public to join us in this important event. Let’s all join hands and fight against human trafficking. Every effort will go a long way in protecting our people,” said Mr Matshiya.

He added that to fight human trafficking, the country had acceded to the United Nations convention against transnational organised crime and ratified one of the protocols.

“The protocols are to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children. The domestication of the protocol saw the enactment of the Trafficking in Persons Act in 2014 thereby criminalising the act of human trafficking in Zimbabwe.

“My ministry oversees the overall administration of the Trafficking in Persons Act. This Act provides for among other things, the establishment of an anti-trafficking inter-ministerial committee,” said Mr Matshiya.

He said members of the committee were drawn from different government departments and the financial intelligence unit in the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe held its first World Day against Trafficking in Persons in Harare last year.

Last year, over 200 Zimbabwean women were stranded in Kuwait after they were lured to the Middle East country on the pretext that they were going to be offered lucrative  jobs by a local human trafficking syndicate. — @pamelashumba1

You Might Also Like

Comments