US embassy cable - 04HARARE356

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 HARARE 000356 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI, AF/RSA, USAID 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER, D. TEITELBAUM 
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY 
PARIS FOR C. NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, PHUM, KWMN, SMIG, KFRD, ASEC, PREF, ELAB, PGOV, PINR, ZI, TIP 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE - TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT 2003 - 
2004 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 27013 
 
     B. 2003 SECSTATE 338722 
 
1. Overview of Zimbabwe's Activities 
   to Eliminate Trafficking in Persons: 
--------------------------------------- 
 
A. There continued to be infrequent anecdotal reports that 
Zimbabwe was a country of origin and transit for 
internationally trafficked persons, particularly women and 
children.  Save the Children Foundation - Norway (SCFN), a 
local NGO, interviewed children, commercial sex workers, 
money changers, truck drivers, immigration officials and 
others in the border town of Beitbridge and identified five 
unnamed Zimbabweans who may have been victims of trafficking. 
 Although the report is entitled, "Unearthing the Phenomenon 
of Child Trafficking in Zimbabwe", the SCFN report did not 
identify the ages of some victims or the circumstances of 
their work conditions--leaving questions unanswered about 
whether any interviewee had actually been trafficked.  There 
were anecdotal reports that girls trafficked from Malawi to 
South Africa sometimes transited through Zimbabwe.  All of 
the NGO and law enforcement officials interviewed for this 
report said that there are no reliable statistics on the 
extent of trafficking in the country.  While no clear cases 
were identified, there were a handful of anecdotal reports 
that Zimbabwean girls from poor families and occasionally 
boys were the victims of trafficking. 
 
B. There were anecdotal reports that victims were trafficked 
from all over Zimbabwe to the border towns, Beitbridge, 
Plumtree, and Forbes, as well as into South Africa. 
 
C. Unlike in previous years, there were no reports that 
Zimbabwe was a transit country for persons trafficked from 
Asia, Mozambique or Zambia. 
 
D. SCFN issued a report on trafficking in August 2003 that 
focused on Beitbridge.  SCFN intends to carry out similar 
research in the border towns of Plumtree and Forbes and 
compile the combined research into a single report later in 
2004.  These reports are not expected to be quantitative, and 
there are no surveys underway or planned to document the 
trafficking statistically. 
 
E. There were no reports that Zimbabwe was a destination 
point for internationally trafficked victims. 
 
According to the SCFN report, motivated by the promise of 
paid work, Zimbabwean girls would leave their homes and hitch 
rides to Beitbridge and occasionally into South Africa with 
truck drivers paying them by engaging in sex with them.  The 
girls would eventually either hitch rides back to their home 
areas, also using sex for payment, or stay in Beitbridge and 
work as commercial sex workers in brothels or independently, 
or work as commercial sex workers, domestic servants, or 
street vendors in South Africa. 
Boys seeking employment also would hitch rides to Beitbridge 
with truck drivers, pay for the ride with borrowed money, pay 
smugglers to get them across the border into South Africa, 
and make their way to farms and cities in South Africa.  In 
two cases, boys reported that they sprayed and picked oranges 
with no protection from pesticides.  The report also said 
that boys work in construction, sell scrap metal sales, work 
at car washes, or work as street vendors in South Africa. 
 
SCFN reported that while the children were in South Africa 
they frequently lived as vagrants or squatters. 
 
SCFN reported that both boys and girls were occasionally and 
sometimes frequently deported back to Zimbabwe under 
deplorable conditions in packed trucks, trains and holding 
cells in South Africa.  The victims were usually dropped off 
in Beitbridge and most found their way back to South Africa 
of their own volition.  South African police reportedly 
threatened to shoot, and sometimes did beat some of the male 
deportees.  In attempting to return to South Africa on foot, 
boys would usually pay smugglers in cash, while girls would 
often engage in sex with smugglers to secure passage. 
 
F. The anecdotal reports suggested that female teenagers were 
the most common victims of trafficking.  There were no 
reports that any were coerced into leaving their homes.  The 
traffickers were truck drivers and smugglers who simply 
facilitated a border crossing whether or not the victims had 
passports, visas or other identity documents. 
 
G. Officials in the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Ministry 
of Justice, Magistrates and Immigration officials have 
identified trafficking as a potential problem and expressed 
interest in responding, but they had no data on the problem 
for which to design a specific response, and were relying on 
NGOs to help alert them to any particular cases. 
 
During the year, immigration and police officials attended 
SCFN-sponsored workshops in Beitbridge and Harare to raise 
awareness of the problem.  Police officials subsequently 
requested from SCFN copies of a training manual to teach 
police officers to recognize and respond to trafficking. 
Police officials met regularly with the Interpol local and 
regional offices, and with police from the region to discuss 
combating trafficking, among other things.  The Director of 
Immigration pledged his support and participation in the 
study that SCFN undertook, and police and immigration 
officials in Beitbridge helped to facilitate SCFN's research. 
 Police officials investigated allegations that women from 
Manicaland had been trafficked abroad and had returned.  The 
alleged victims, however, denied that they had been coerced 
and that they were involved in prostitution.  In January 
2004, the Zimbabwe Home Affairs Minister announced a 
crackdown on corruption at border posts after some Revenue 
Authority officials were prosecuted for taking bribes.  The 
Ministries of Justice, Education, Social Welfare and Home 
Affairs, and the ZRP and NGOs participate in an ongoing 
education and advocacy program coordinated by SCFN to combat 
child sexual abuse.  In August 2001, Parliament passed and 
signed into law the Sexual Offenses Act, which makes it a 
crime to transport persons across the country's borders for 
the sex industry.  Traffickers also can be prosecuted under 
other legislation, such as immigration and abduction laws. 
The Victim Friendly Courts (VFCs) were specifically created 
in 1997 to accommodate children and sexual offenses victims. 
A trafficked person has the option to take his or her case 
before the VFC. 
 
H. There was no indication that government authorities 
facilitated, were complicit in, or condoned trafficking in 
persons. 
 
I. While the government seemed willing to consider the 
problem, in the current economic downturn, there were very 
limited government resources to gather comprehensive data on, 
or respond to anecdotal reports of trafficking.  Corruption 
among border officials and police was generally considered to 
be modest but rising. 
 
J. The government does not have a specific anti-trafficking 
program in place apart from general law enforcement, the 
court system, border control and social welfare programs. 
 
K. Prostitution is illegal in Zimbabwe, and the activities of 
prostitutes, brothel owners/operators are criminalized. 
 
L. There were no reports that the practice of buying or 
selling child brides (brides under the age of 18 years) 
occurred in the country. 
 
2. PREVENTION: 
-------------- 
 
A. The GOZ recognized that trafficking in persons might 
exist, but lacked specific data and did not formulate a 
specific program to address the issue. 
 
B. The primary government authority that would combat 
trafficking is the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), including 
the Criminal Investigations Unit (CID).  The Ministry of 
Justice, including Magistrates and VFCs; the Ministry of Home 
Affairs, including the Department of Immigration; the 
Ministry of Social Welfare; and the Ministry of Education 
would also combat trafficking. 
 
C. The Ministries of Justice, Education, Social Welfare and 
Home Affairs, and the ZRP and NGOs participate in an ongoing 
education and advocacy program coordinated by SCFN to combat 
child sexual abuse.  At the invitation of SCFN the Chief 
Immigration Officer, other immigration officials, and 
officials from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of 
Education, Ministry of Social Welfare, the Ministry of Home 
Affairs, and the ZRP as well as other NGOs attended a 
stakeholders meeting in Harare in 2003 to discuss the problem 
of trafficking as it affected Zimbabwe.  In September 2002, 
the Child and Law Foundation of Zimbabwe held an 
international conference entitled, "Protecting the Sexuality 
of our Children - Southern Africa Regional Meeting" in 
Harare.  A High Court judge opened the conference, and 
representatives from the Ministry of Justice including a 
Magistrate, the Ministry of Education, and the Department of 
Social Welfare also attended.  The South African NGO Molo 
Songololo presented research methodologies for data gathering 
on sexual exploitation.  Participants at both meetings 
acknowledged that research on any trafficking that might be 
occurring in Zimbabwe was necessary. 
 
D. The GOZ supports programs that promote the rights of and 
opportunities for women and children.  The Ministry of Social 
Welfare in particular runs three programs focused on enabling 
children to stay in school. 
 
E. The GOZ suffers from a lack of resources to effectively 
support research and prevention programs. 
 
F. The GOZ and civil society groups cooperate openly and 
communicate regularly on the issue of trafficking. 
 
G. There are checkpoints along all of Zimbabwe's major 
international border crossings.  The Department of 
Immigration attempts to monitor for trafficking.  No concrete 
evidence of trafficking has been uncovered by government 
authorities, or has been presented to police or immigration 
officials. 
 
H. The GOZ lacks a special coordination mechanism between GOZ 
agencies for trafficking, an anti-trafficking task force, or 
a public corruption task force. 
 
I. See 1. G. and 2. C. 
 
J. The GOZ does not have a national plan to address 
trafficking in persons. 
 
K. While various officials are open to the issue of 
trafficking and have pledged to combat it, the GOZ has not 
designated anyone to develop anti-trafficking programs. 
 
3. INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS: 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
A. While no laws specifically address trafficking in persons, 
common law prohibits abduction and forced labor, and the 
August 2001 Sexual Offenses Act makes it a crime to transport 
persons across the border for sex. 
 
The Zimbabwe constitution provides that "no one may be held 
in slavery or servitude or be made to perform forced or 
compulsory labor." 
 
The Zimbabwe Criminal Code prohibits corruption of children 
and young persons, and penalizes any person who allows a 
child or a young person to reside in or to frequent a 
brothel.  Similarly, the code penalizes any person who causes 
the seduction, abduction, or prostitution of a child or young 
person.  The code prohibits allowing the child or young 
person to consort with, enter into employment, or continue in 
the employment of any prostitute or person of known immoral 
character.  Punishment for these offenses is a fine or 
imprisonment for up to 2 years or both. 
 
The Zimbabwean Immigration Act penalizes any person who by 
bribery induces or attempts to induce any immigration officer 
to violate his or her duties under the Act.  The Act 
criminalizes forgery of travel documents for the purposes of 
entering, remaining in, or departing from the country in 
contravention of the act.  The Act penalizes anyone who 
hinders or obstructs any police officer or immigration 
officer in executing his or her duties under the Act. 
 
B. There is no penalty specific to trafficking at this time. 
 
C. There is no minimum penalty for rape or forcible sexual 
assault.  Individuals convicted of one of these crimes must 
be imprisoned, but precedent determines the length of 
incarceration.  Sentences for rape convictions typically 
range from four to fifteen years, depending on the 
circumstances of the crime. 
 
D. The GOZ has not prosecuted any cases of trafficking to 
date. 
 
E. There were no reports that any organized groups coerced 
victims into forced labor or prostitution in Zimbabwe.  The 
SCFN report also found no evidence of abduction and 
attributed children's migration to escape from economic 
hardship.  There were no reports that government officials 
were involved in trafficking.  Truckers, migrant smugglers, 
and brothel owners were involved in trafficking; see 1. E. 
 
F. The ZRP actively investigated allegations of trafficking; 
see 1. G. 
 
G. Police officers and immigration officials attended 
meetings and workshops sponsored by SCFN aimed at recognizing 
and investigating trafficking, and police later sought 
training materials from SCFN with the intention of providing 
training to other officers on these issues; see 1. G. 
 
H. No specific cases of trafficking were confirmed.  Police 
interacted with regional police bodies on various regional 
law enforcement issues including trafficking.  Zimbabwean 
police cooperated with South African police to curb 
Zimbabwean migrant smuggling to South Africa. 
 
I. There were no reports of extradition from Zimbabwe of 
those charged with trafficking in other countries.  There 
were no reported cases of Zimbabweans charged with 
trafficking in other countries.  The government has 
extradition treaties with many countries in the region. 
 
J. There was no indication of government involvement in, or 
tolerance of trafficking at any level. 
K. See 3. J. 
 
L. The GOZ ratified ILO Convention 182 on December 11, 2000, 
Conventions 29 and 105 on August 27, 1998.  The GOZ has not 
signed or ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on 
the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child 
Prostitution, and Child Pornography.  The GOZ has not signed 
or ratified the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish 
Trafficking in Persons. 
 
4. PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS: 
---------------------------------------- 
 
A. No specific victims of trafficking were identified. 
Zimbabwe has a public health care system but it was strained 
for adequate resources for equipment, medications, and 
medical staff salaries.  In cooperation with the GOZ, a local 
NGO (with USAID funding) provided HIV/AIDS testing and 
counseling at clinics nationwide for a nominal fee. 
 
B. No specific victims of trafficking were identified. 
 
C. See 4. B. 
 
D. See 4. B. 
 
E. See 4. B. 
 
F. No specific victims of trafficking were identified, 
however, within the VFCs the perpetrator is not supposed to 
see or hear the victim during court proceedings. 
 
G. No specific victims of trafficking were identified. 
Government officials attended training sessions, and sought 
out training materials from SCFN on responding to 
trafficking; see 1. G. 
 
H. See 4. B. 
 
I. No NGOs reported working with trafficking victims. 
 
5. Post point of contact for Trafficking in Persons until 
June is FS 03 Political Officer Audu Besmer, or after June, 
Bianca Menendez (office phone  263-4-250-593 extension 291; 
fax  263-4-253-000, e-mail: besmeram@state.gov or 
menendezbe@state.gov).  The estimated hours spent per officer 
in preparation of this report are as follows:  Polfsn 2 
hours, Poloff 25 hours, Polchief 0.5 hour review, DCM 0.5 
hour review, AMB 0.5 hour review. 
SULLIVAN