Harare (New Ziana)-Zimbabwe recorded a rise in cases of human trafficking with 139 people falling victim to the criminal practice while seeking jobs abroad, an official has said.

Director legal services for the Inter-ministerial committee on trafficking in persons, Prisca Madziviridze said this while giving oral evidence before the Parliament Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services.

Madziviridze said a total of 69 cases of human trafficking involving 139 victims were recorded and investigated last year.

“In 2022, the country experienced an upsurge in cases of trafficking in persons, both local and transnational. A total of 69 cases of trafficking in persons involving 139 victims were recorded and investigated. Seven accused persons, who are all Zimbabweans, were arrested for trafficking in persons in 2022 and are currently in custody pending trial. Of the seven accused persons, four were arrested for Oman cases while three were arrested for domestic trafficking cases. Four accused persons who were linked to the Oman trafficking cases were arrested and they are being prosecuted,” she said.

She said the majority of human trafficking victims were recruited through social media.

“Most victims in the Oman cases were recruited through social media platforms (Whatsapp and Facebook groups). It is in these social media groups that they were offered lucrative jobs with good salaries and good working conditions.

Zimbabwe came on the spotlight as a source country for human traffickers when cases of women who were lured to the Middle East on promises of lucrative employment only to be sold into slavery were unearthed.

The plight of the women came to light in 2016, prompting the government to order a comprehensive investigation, as well as to rescue them.

Last year, it also emerged that scores of women were trafficked to Oman to work as domestic workers under deplorable conditions including being paid between US$60 to US$80 per month.

New Ziana