VZCZCXRO1262
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0158/01 0542002
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 232001Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0115
INFO SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 HARARE 000158 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
AF/S FOR BWALCH 
AF/RSA FOR LEARNED DEES 
G/TIP FOR G-LAURA PENA, STEPHANIE KRONENBURG 
DRL FOR MMITTELHAUSER, AND TDANG 
EEB FOR BBROOKS-RUBIN 
STATE PASS TO DOL/ILAB FOR LSTROTKAMP AND SHALEY 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR LORRIE DOBBINS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KTIP PGOV PREL PREF ELAB SMIG ASEC KMCA KWMN
KCRM, KFRD, ZI 
SUBJECT: Zimbabwe: Tenth Annual Trafficking in Persons Report 
 
REF: STATE 02094; 09 HARARE 650 
 
¶1. (U) The following is Embassy Harare's response to questions 
posed to Post in ref B. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
Zimbabwe's TIP Situation 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
 
 
-- 25 A. (SBU) There are no reliable statistics on the trafficking 
problem in Zimbabwe. Most information on trafficking comes from 
anecdotal reporting supplied by nongovernmental organizations 
(NGOs), labor unions, other embassies in Harare, and international 
organizations (IOs) providing assistance to victims and vulnerable 
populations. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) 
reported assisting eleven trafficking victims in 2009, seven of 
whom were referred by other nongovernmental organizations. None 
were referred by the Zimbabwean police or the Department of Social 
Welfare. IOM, in partnership with the Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) 
and UNICEF, conducted a study on child trafficking in Zimbabwe 
between November 2007 and February 2008 to gauge the scale of the 
problem and identify target areas for anti-trafficking programs. 
(NOTE: Local organizations generously shared the child labor and 
trafficking reports with us but asked us to not/not release any 
details of their reports in our TIP report to respect GOZ 
sensitivities and IOM's delicate relationship with the GOZ. Post 
will send this information by email to G/TIP and DOL. END NOTE.) 
The draft report is currently being discussed by stakeholders 
before being distributed to the general public. Although IOM 
anticipated releasing the report in 2009, it has not yet been 
released. IOM also expected to complete a five-country (Zimbabwe, 
Zambia, Angola, Namibia, and Botswana) regional study on 
trafficking in July 2008; however the results of the study have not 
yet been released. In October 2007, the Ministry of Public Service, 
Labor, and Social Welfare in collaboration with the International 
Labor Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Program 
(UNDP), United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural 
Organization (UNESCO), UNICEF, and IOM launched a multi-year 
program on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor in 
Zimbabwe. This program will address child labor issues and the 
implementation of ILO Convention 182, including identifying the 
worst forms of child labor in Zimbabwe and implementing activities 
pertaining to the prevention of child labor, protection of working 
children, rehabilitation of victims, and income generating 
measures. The three above-mentioned efforts remain incomplete. 
Although the projects have all been completed, the reports specific 
to Zimbabwe need approval by each ministry involved and may need 
cabinet approval before release. 
 
 
 
-- 25 B. (SBU) Zimbabwe is a country of origin, transit, and 
destination for internationally trafficked men, women, and 
children. Women and children are trafficked for labor and sexual 
exploitation from communities near the borders with the four 
surrounding countries. Women and girls in the Zimbabwean border 
towns of Beitbridge (South African border) and Chirundu (Zambian 
border), in particular, are enticed or forced to work as 
prostitutes in brothels that cater to truck drivers that pass 
through the towns. Some women and girls are subsequently trafficked 
across the border for continued exploitation. There have been 
continued reports of Zimbabweans, especially young men and boys, 
providing labor for months in South Africa without pay before their 
employers report them to authorities for deportation. Many 
Zimbabweans suffering labor exploitation in surrounding countries 
do not report the offense to authorities out of fear of 
deportation. Women and men have been lured under false pretenses to 
Angola, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and South Africa with 
promises of jobs in construction, information technology, and 
 
HARARE 00000158  002 OF 014 
 
 
hospitality. There have been reports of young women and girls being 
lured to the People's Republic of China, Egypt, the United Kingdom, 
and Canada under false pretenses for commercial sexual 
exploitation. Men, women, and children from Bangladesh, Somalia, 
Kenya, Sudan, India, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, 
Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia are trafficked through Zimbabwe en 
route to South Africa. A small number of South African girls are 
trafficked to Zimbabwe for forced domestic labor. Trafficking also 
occurs within the country's borders. NGOs believe internal 
trafficking continued during the year, largely due to the high cost 
of attending school and a weak economy. Young men and women and 
children in rural areas are trafficked to farms for agricultural 
labor and domestic servitude or to cities and towns for commercial 
sexual exploitation and domestic servitude. IOM reported receiving 
more calls in 2009 than in 2008 from potential trafficking victims 
inquiring about the veracity of job offers in other countries. 
False job offers included alleged jobs in South Africa, Japan, 
Malaysia, and in the United States. It was unclear, however, if 
this increase was a result of more false job offers or greater 
awareness of IOM's ability to confirm the validity of job offers. 
 
 
 
There were two probable trafficking cases during the year that we 
learned of in detail. In one case (ref A), seven Zimbabwean men 
were trafficked to Angola for construction jobs; on arrival they 
were subjected to forced labor conditions and their passports were 
withheld. The case is now stalled in the Zimbabwe labor courts. 
Because there is no anti-trafficking law, the men can only seek 
justice in a labor court by seeking damages from the Harare-based 
Chinese man who recruited them. 
 
 
 
In a second case, which we learned about from the Indian consul in 
Harare, 27 men -- two Indians from Mumbai and 25 from Pakistan -- 
were arrested in Harare in July 2009 en route to South Africa. It 
is unclear if the men were being smuggled or trafficked to South 
Africa, but the Indian consul believed they would have been 
exploited had they made it to South Africa. The group had flown to 
Harare from Mumbai via Ethiopia with a "landing permit" issued by 
Zimbabwean Immigration that was allegedly facilitated by a 
suspected Bangladeshi trafficker; none of the men had visas as 
required. On arrival at the airport in Harare, they were all 
allowed to pass through immigration without having their passports 
stamped. Two days later the entire group was arrested for violating 
immigration laws. The Bangladeshi man was also arrested; he was 
released two days later. Although police acknowledged to the Indian 
consul that the Bangladeshi had the passports of the two Indian 
citizens, police refused to attempt to recover them. According to 
the Indian consul, the group of 27 men was held in Harare Central 
police station for two weeks before they were deported. 
 
 
 
-- 25 C. (SBU) Within Zimbabwe's borders, persons are trafficked to 
farms for agricultural labor, homes for domestic servitude, and - 
in some cases - for sexual exploitation.  Women trafficked out of 
Zimbabwe for forced labor may be subjected to long working hours 
and abuse as well.  Anecdotally, Post is aware of other cases of 
men who have been trafficked into forced labor in construction and 
agriculture.  These conditions may include long hours of forced 
labor for no pay, physical, and sexual abuse.  Adolescent boys and 
girls that are trafficked within Zimbabwe are often lured with the 
promise of education and are then forced to work. Children who are 
lured to cross a border rarely possess a valid travel document, 
indicating that corruption or carelessness by officials at the 
border facilitates cross-border trafficking. 
 
 
 
-- 25 D. (SBU) Women and young girls are the most at-risk group for 
trafficking. The use of child labor, especially as farm workers or 
domestic servants, is common in Zimbabwe, often with the complicity 
of family members. UNICEF reported in January 2009 that school 
enrollment had declined from approximately 85 percent in 2007 to 
 
HARARE 00000158  003 OF 014 
 
 
just 20 percent in 2008. Girls were more likely than boys to drop 
out because they were more readily employable as domestic workers. 
Although schools began functioning more regularly in early 2009 
after serious disruptions in 2008, the conversion to the U.S. 
dollar in early February 2009 made it difficult for most parents to 
raise enough money for school fees, uniforms, and school levies to 
send their children to school. Poverty remained a key risk factor 
for child trafficking as parents and children sought to bolster the 
family's income. Numerous reports from the press and NGOs indicated 
Zimbabwean children continued to enter South Africa illegally where 
they worked for little or no pay. Most children trafficked 
domestically reported they were forced to work for little pay for 
extended hours, seven days a week and were not allowed to attend 
school. In many cases, the children traded sex with guides or truck 
drivers to be smuggled across the border. The Progressive Teachers' 
Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) reported in 2009 that at least 35,000 
Zimbabwean teachers had left the country in recent years to seek 
better opportunities and to flee political violence that targeted 
teachers. Although some returned during the year, most remain in 
the diaspora. Many find employment as teachers in surrounding 
countries; however, others were forced into jobs on farms and in 
factories for little or no pay. There also have been reports of 
employers withholding their documentation under the pretext of 
regularizing their status. Zimbabweans often accept this abuse 
rather than report the offence to authorities and risk deportation. 
 
 
 
-- 25 E. (SBU) According to anecdotal reports, cross-border 
traffickers are typically independent business people who are part 
of small networks of local criminal groups that facilitate 
trafficking into South Africa or other surrounding countries. One 
local organization told us that traffickers will often wait near 
the Zimbabwe/South Africa border in Messina (across from 
Beitbridge) and lure potential workers with the promise of farm 
jobs to nearby farms.  Once at the farms, the workers are subjected 
to poor treatment, a lack of wages, and abuse. Many children who 
are trafficked within Zimbabwe are approached by individuals who 
operate within larger groups. Often, this trafficker is known 
within a child's community. In many cases, a trafficker approaches 
a potential victim with the offer of a lucrative job in another 
part of the country or in a neighboring country. Traffickers often 
transport victims covertly across borders at unrecognized border 
crossing points or bribe an immigration officer for entry. Many 
young men and boys are exploited by guides when they attempt to 
cross the border illegally into South Africa or another neighboring 
country to find work. There were numerous reports of guides leading 
Zimbabweans, including children, through the crocodile-infested 
Limpopo River into South Africa. Within Zimbabwe's borders, family 
members often entice children and other relatives to travel from 
rural to urban areas with the promise of a job or education. On 
arrival, the family member sometimes forces the victim into forced 
domestic or other labor. Some children, particularly orphans, have 
been lured to South Africa based on the promise of an education and 
adoption. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE 
 
GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-TIP EFFORTS: 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
 
 
-- 26 A. (SBU) The government, including senior officials at law 
enforcement, immigration, and social welfare agencies, acknowledges 
that trafficking is a problem in the country. In the last year Post 
has seen a significant increase in the concern about trafficking, 
largely as a result of being ranked Tier 3 in 2009. Local NGOs 
working on anti-trafficking initiatives have made inroads with key 
staffers in Parliament and the Ministry of Home Affairs who have 
expressed a desire to better understand trafficking and to improve 
 
HARARE 00000158  004 OF 014 
 
 
Zimbabwe's anti-trafficking laws to comply with regional standards. 
According to a senior official in the Prime Minister's office, 
anti-trafficking legislation is in the 2010 work plan for the 
Ministry of Home Affairs, where the draft bill is under review. The 
government hopes to present the bill in Cabinet in March or April 
2010, which is the first step toward introducing it for 
consideration in Parliament.  While law enforcement officials and 
others in government readily complain that Zimbabwe is used as a 
transit point to South Africa, there is less awareness or 
willingness to acknowledge that Zimbabweans are victims of domestic 
and cross-border trafficking. Senior government officials 
frequently speak out publicly about the dangers of trafficking, 
illegal migration, prostitution, and exploitative labor conditions. 
 
 
 
-- 26 B. (SBU) The government established in 2006 an 
inter-ministerial taskforce on trafficking, which includes 
representatives from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Justice, 
Information, Parliamentarian Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Public 
Service, Labor, and Social Welfare. Under the Ministry of Home 
Affairs, the Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) of the Zimbabwe Republic 
Police (ZRP) deals with children's and sexual abuse cases, and has 
the lead on investigation and tracking of trafficking cases and the 
referral of victims to support services. The Interpol National 
Central Bureau (NCB) Zimbabwe office has a "Human Trafficking Desk" 
staffed by ZRP detectives who coordinate Zimbabwe's involvement in 
international trafficking investigations. The Department of 
Immigration (in the Ministry of Home Affairs) monitors borders and 
ports of entry for possible traffickers and victims. The Department 
of Social Welfare (in the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare) 
also has several programs for vulnerable children. The Ministry of 
Information collaborates on awareness campaigns funded by NGOs and 
IOs. 
 
 
 
-- 26 C. (SBU) In practice, a severe lack of financial resources 
and awareness of the intricacies of trafficking limits the 
government's ability to address the trafficking problem. Police 
lack the legal mandate (because of the absence of an anti-TIP law) 
and resources, including manpower and fuel, to properly investigate 
trafficking cases. While some police acknowledge trafficking 
deserves more attention, the sentiment is not widely held. One 
relatively senior police officer told us that trafficking "wasn't a 
problem" and that he would have heard about cases if there had been 
any. He was unaware of several high-profile cases of cross-border 
trafficking. A backlog of cases continued to overwhelm a judicial 
system in which pre-trial detainees can wait prolonged periods 
before receiving a hearing in court. In addition, overall 
corruption in law enforcement and the judiciary were serious 
problems, exacerbated by low wages. NGOs and some government 
officials believed victims refused to prosecute or report cases of 
trafficking because they feared their traffickers would bribe 
police or judges. The Department of Social Welfare lacks the 
necessary funding to properly assist victims; however, it routinely 
refers victims to NGOs and IOs for such services. 
 
 
 
-- 26 D. (SBU) The government does not have the legal mandate or 
resources to systematically monitor its anti-trafficking efforts 
and periodically make available, publicly or privately and directly 
or through regional/international organizations, assessments of its 
anti-trafficking efforts. 
 
 
 
-- 26 E. (SBU) According to Zimbabwean law, birth registry is a 
right. In practice, many Zimbabwean children do not have a valid 
citizenship document because of stringent requirements and long 
distances needed to travel even to local offices where birth 
registry is recorded if a child is not born in a hospital. 
Independent groups estimate as many as two million citizens - 
including children - may have been disenfranchised by a 2002 law 
revising the citizenship act, including those perceived to have 
 
HARARE 00000158  005 OF 014 
 
 
opposition leanings, such as the more than 200,000 commercial farm 
workers from neighboring countries, and approximately 30,000 mostly 
white dual nationals. Constitutional Amendment 19, which became 
effective on February 13, 2009, relaxed citizenship requirements 
and was expected to facilitate birth registration.  According to 
local NGOs, although some efforts have been made to provide birth 
certificates to orphaned children, these children are particularly 
vulnerable because they do not have documentation to prove their 
citizenship. Orphans without birth certificates are particularly 
vulnerable to traffickers and to exploitation in forced labor, 
including prostitution. 
 
 
 
-- 26 F. For non-trafficking cases (e.g. murder, theft, assault), 
police are able to track statistics at a local, regional and 
national level. Each police station is required to submit a report 
of cases reported to regional offices that pass cases on to the 
national headquarters in Harare. This process is carried out in 
hand-written reports until it reaches the national headquarters 
where it is entered into a database. This enables police to 
document crime trends geographically and to compare with previous 
years. The system would benefit from greater computerization and 
standardization of the reporting process, as some stations vary. 
Overall, the police are able to track crimes if there is a 
directive from above to do so. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------------- 
------------- 
 
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------------- 
------------- 
 
 
 
-- 27 A. (SBU) Zimbabwean law does not specifically prohibit 
trafficking. Trafficking-related crimes are currently addressed 
under other legislation, primarily the Criminal Law (Codification 
and Reform) Act, the Immigration Act, and the Labor Relations 
Amendment Act. These laws criminalize transporting people across 
the border for sex, corruption of children, and allowing children 
to reside in or to frequent a brothel, allowing children to consort 
with or be employed by prostitutes, and forgery of travel 
documents. In addition, the Criminal Law Act prohibits abduction 
and the pledging of a female. The constitution and labor law 
provide that no one may be held in slavery or servitude or be made 
to perform forced or compulsory labor. Zimbabwean legal experts 
consider these laws sufficient to cover both internal and external 
forms of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Additionally, a 
victim can bring a civil suit against a trafficker under current 
law. The Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act provides for victim 
restitution and compensation. The government reported in 2007 that 
it had drafted comprehensive trafficking legislation; however, the 
draft has not been made available for review nor introduced in 
Parliament. In a meeting on February 8 with both co-Ministers of 
Home Affairs (ref C), the ministers told the Ambassador that 
trafficking is a priority and that there is a draft bill in the 
Ministry of Home Affairs. The Prime Minister's office told us on 
February 4 that passing anti-trafficking legislation is a high 
priority in the coming year. 
 
 
 
-- 27 B. (SBU) In terms of sexual exploitation offenses, the 
Criminal Law Act provides for the following: 
 
 
 
-- Procuring another person for unlawful sexual conduct, or to 
become a prostitute whether inside or outside Zimbabwe, or to leave 
his or her usual place of residence to become an inmate or frequent 
a brothel is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of two 
 
HARARE 00000158  006 OF 014 
 
 
years (10 years if the person procured is under 16 years of age), 
or both. 
 
 
 
-- Coercing or inducing another person to engage in unlawful sexual 
conduct with another person by threat or intimidation is punishable 
by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of five years, or both. 
 
 
 
-- Detaining a person in a brothel or any other premises with the 
intention that the detained person should engage in unlawful sexual 
conduct is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of one 
year, or both. 
 
 
 
-- Allowing a person under 16 years of age to knowingly enter an 
establishment for the purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual 
conduct is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of seven 
years, or both. If the person is below the age of 12, the act is 
punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of 10 years, or both. 
 
 
 
-- A parent allowing a child under 18 years of age to become a 
prostitute is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of 10 
years, or both. 
 
 
 
-- Living off or facilitating prostitution is punishable by a fine, 
a maximum imprisonment of two years, or both. 
 
 
 
-- Solicitation of another person for prostitution is punishable by 
a fine, a maximum imprisonment of six months, or both. 
 
 
 
-- Sexual intercourse or performing indecent acts with a person 
under 16 years of age is punishable by a fine, a maximum 
imprisonment of 10 years, or both. 
 
 
 
-- Pledging a female person for a forced marriage or to compensate 
for the death of a relative, or any debt or obligation, is 
punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of two years, or both. 
Any party to the marriage or arrangement may be charged as an 
accomplice. 
 
 
 
-- Forgery of a public document or corruptly using a false document 
is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of 20 years, or 
both. 
 
 
 
-- 27 C. (SBU) In terms of labor trafficking offenses, the Labor 
Relations Amendment Act provides for the following: 
 
 
 
-- Failure of an employer to protect employees' right to fair labor 
standards (including to pay any employee a wage lower than a 
prescribed minimum, to require an employee to work more than the 
maximum hours permitted by law, or to require any employee to work 
under any conditions or situation which are below prescribed 
standards) is punishable by a fine, a maximum imprisonment of two 
years, or both. 
 
HARARE 00000158  007 OF 014 
 
 
-- Forced labor is punishable by a fine, two years imprisonment, or 
both. 
 
 
 
-- Employment of a person under 15 years of age (unless as an 
apprentice who is over 13 years of age) is punishable by a fine, 
two years imprisonment, or both. 
 
 
 
(SBU) The Labor Relations Amendment Act does not specifically 
include provisions for criminal punishment of labor recruiters who 
engage in recruitment of laborers using knowingly fraudulent or 
deceptive offers; for employers or labor agents who confiscate 
workers' passports or travel documents, switch contracts without 
the worker's consent as a means to keep the worker in a state of 
service, or withhold payment of salaries as means of keeping the 
worker in a state of service. However, prosecutors may be able to 
use the fair labor standards provisions in the Labor Relations 
Amendment Act to pursue cases involving such activities. 
 
 
 
(SBU) Zimbabwe does not have specific laws that criminalize the 
acts of labor recruiters who recruit laborers using knowingly 
fraudulent or deceptive offers or impose on recruited laborers 
inappropriately high or illegal fees or commissions that create a 
debt bondage condition for the laborer. The constitution and labor 
law, however, provide that no one may be held in slavery or 
servitude or be made to perform forced or compulsory labor. There 
have not been reports of convictions for labor trafficking offenses 
during the reporting period. 
 
 
 
-- 27 D. (SBU) Rape and aggravated indecent assault are punishable 
by life imprisonment. Incarceration is mandatory for convictions 
for rape or forcible sexual assault, but there is no minimum 
penalty. The media frequently reports on rape cases and 
convictions. Sentences usually vary from four years to fifteen 
years, depending on the circumstances of the crime. 
 
 
 
-- 27 E. (SBU) Police did not have statistics of investigations, 
prosecutions, convictions, or sentences of trafficking 
investigations for the last year. Because trafficking is not a 
crime according to Zimbabwean law, police do not differentiate 
other relevant crimes (e.g. labor or kidnapping) from those that 
may involve trafficking. Although the government has demonstrated 
some interest in trafficking, there has been little demonstrable 
evidence of progress in documenting or combating trafficking. In 
fact, when we visited the Interpol NCB officer in charge in January 
2010, he believed we had sought an appointment to tell him about 
trafficking cases in Zimbabwe. In the meeting, after he told us he 
didn't have information on trafficking cases during the year, he 
admitted knowing about the case of the seven Zimbabwean men who 
were trafficked to Angola (ref A). Unfortunately, he was unaware of 
any police investigation into the case either in Zimbabwe or in 
Angola. 
 
 
 
(SBU) Resource constraints in public health facilities, the ZRP, 
and the judiciary remain a severe hindrance. In addition, few 
victims are willing to come forward and pursue prosecution against 
their traffickers under other laws. Police lack human, financial, 
and other resources to conduct proper investigations. It is not 
unusual for a detainee to remain in remand custody for several 
years before his/her case is heard in court. In addition, only 
government hospitals can conduct rape examinations admissible as 
evidence in court. The lack of easily-available public health 
facilities may have prevented reports of rape and sexual assault. 
 
HARARE 00000158  008 OF 014 
 
 
-- 27 F. (SBU) The government took steps during the year to educate 
and train officials to combat trafficking. Government officials 
attended and led portions of IOM-sponsored seminars on trafficking 
during the year. IOM held 15 sector-specific training workshops 
during the year: four for law enforcement, eight for social 
services professionals, two for educators, and one for local 
government officials. In 2009, the Zimbabwe Republic Police 
Training Department requested to partner with IOM in all of its 
2010 counter-trafficking training programs for law enforcement. As 
a positive indication of government's interest in expanding 
anti-TIP training, IOM recently received a request from the 
newly-formed Border Control Unit within the Criminal Investigating 
Department (CID) of the Zimbabwean police, which is now responsible 
for policing all ports of entry and exit. The unit asked for help 
from IOM to prepare a course on TIP to include in the orientation 
training for the unit's staff. 
 
 
 
-- 27 G. (SBU) The government does cooperate with other governments 
in the investigation and prosecution of cases. However, during the 
reporting period, Interpol reported there were no international 
investigations or prosecutions brought forth by the Zimbabwean 
government. Notably, although Interpol and the Zimbabwean police 
were aware of the case of the Zimbabweans who were trafficked to 
Angola, no one we spoke with was aware of any progress 
investigating the case in either Zimbabwe or Angola. 
 
 
 
-- 27 H. (SBU) The Zimbabwe Extradition Act permits the extradition 
of nationals, and the government has extradition treaties with 
countries in the region. There have not been reports of 
trafficking-related extraditions or requests of extradition from 
Zimbabwe to other countries during the reporting period. 
 
 
 
-- 27 I. (SBU) There was anecdotal evidence of limited government 
involvement in or tolerance of trafficking, on a local level. For 
example, the Indian consul who told us about the case of 25 
Pakistanis and two Indians who were trafficked to Zimbabwe strongly 
believed that someone within immigration facilitated the production 
of the "landing permit" and that immigration officials at the 
airport knowingly granted the group entry illegally. Separately, 
the press reported on a case in January 2010 in which an 
immigration official, Alter Upenyu Nhidza, allegedly issued 26 
Bangladeshis visas without authority. The 26 Bangladeshis were 
deported at the Harare International Airport on January 18, 2010 
after arriving separately in two groups via Kenya. Immigration 
officials at the airport discovered the visas were not genuine 
during routine screening. According to press reports the visa 
stickers were from the Kanyemba border post (an extremely rural 
border between Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique), where Nhidza was 
posted. Following the incident, there were numerous press reports 
that the police had launched a "manhunt" to search for Nhidza. It 
was not established if the Bangladeshis were trafficking victims or 
if they were being smuggled. 
 
 
 
-- 27 J. (SBU) To the best of our knowledge, the police have taken 
no action against government officials involved in TIP, aside from 
the reported police search for Nhidza, as described in question 27 
¶I. 
 
 
 
-- 27 K. (SBU) There have not been reported cases involving 
Zimbabwean nationals deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping or 
other similar mission who engaged in or facilitated severe forms of 
trafficking or who exploited trafficking victims. 
 
HARARE 00000158  009 OF 014 
 
 
-- 27 L. (SBU) The country is not identified as a source or 
destination for child sex tourism. The country's sexual crimes laws 
do have extraterritorial coverage. There are no reports of any 
prosecutions or convictions under the extraterritorial provisions. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------------- 
 
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------------- 
 
 
 
-- 28 A. (SBU) Foreign victims of trafficking can receive relief 
from deportation while receiving victim support services and while 
their cases are being investigated. The Chief of Immigration may 
offer a temporary employment permit at his discretion. However, in 
the case of the group of 25 Pakistanis and two Indians, as detailed 
in question 25 B, the victims were not granted relief from 
deportation or from arrest. In fact, the Indian consul told us that 
the police did not call him to report that two Indian citizens had 
been arrested until several days had passed. 
 
 
 
-- 28 B. (SBU) Zimbabwe does have victim care facilities which are 
accessible to trafficking victims, including foreign victims. IOM 
is the lead organization in addressing human trafficking, and the 
government has supported its activities. IOM trained a number of 
social services providers and NGOs to enable them to provide 
assistance to victims of trafficking in the form of safe shelter, 
psychosocial support, family tracing, and reunification. IOM also 
continued to capacitate a number of NGOs and service providers to 
mainstream human trafficking activities in their already existing 
programs. 
 
 
 
(SBU) The Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children is 
the national umbrella organization that oversees and maintains 
standards of over 70 institutions for children in Zimbabwe, 
including 20 in Harare; however, the country does not have 
specialized facilities dedicated to helping victims of trafficking. 
IOM, Girl Child Network, Oasis Trust, Musasa Project, and Save the 
Children Norway have developed specialized services to assist 
trafficking victims in their shelters/assistance programs. These 
services include shelter, medical and psychological assistance, 
reintegration and livelihood activities, and legal counseling. 
Funding for these services/programs comes from international 
donors. A number of children's homes and shelters were upgraded in 
Harare and Chiredzi for them to be able to provide assistance to 
child victims of trafficking: Musasa Project, Harare Children's 
Home, St. Joseph's Hostel for Boys, and Chingele Children's Home. 
In 2009 IOM identified and supported two additional shelters in 
Bulawayo, one for women and the other one for girls. IOM is 
providing the shelters with support in the form of training to the 
shelter staff, buying of beds and blankets, and upgrading the 
security system. The government primarily depends on NGOs and IOs 
to provide trafficking victims these services. Although the trained 
civil society organizations are able to provide support to victims 
of trafficking, currently IOM is the only organization implementing 
victim assistance by providing reintegration support to identified 
victims. Organizations could not provide specific information on 
the amount spent specifically for victims of trafficking. 
 
-- 28 C. (SBU) The government does not have the resources to 
provide funding to foreign or domestic NGOs for trafficking victim 
services. However, the government routinely refers potential 
victims to NGOs and IOs for assistance. In April 2008, the IOM 
opened a reception center on government-allocated land for 
Zimbabweans deported from Botswana to Plumtree, Zimbabwe. This 
second reception center in Zimbabwe helped identify additional 
trafficking victims. Between January and December 2009, IOM 
 
HARARE 00000158  010 OF 014 
 
 
assisted 594 unaccompanied minors at Plumtree and 603 unaccompanied 
minors at Beitbridge. 
 
-- 28 D. (SBU) The government assists and provides relief to 
foreign trafficking victims.  For example, the government assisted 
a child who authorities believe was trafficked from Mozambique in 
¶2006. The Department of Immigration requires all deportees received 
from South Africa and Botswana to attend an IOM briefing on safe 
migration, which includes a discussion of trafficking. The ZRP, 
Department of Social Welfare, and Department of Immigration do have 
a mechanism for referring victims of trafficking to victim support; 
however, at this time the government primarily depends on NGOs and 
IOs working with vulnerable populations and victims to identify 
trafficking victims and alert authorities. As noted above -- as in 
the case of the 25 Pakistanis and two Indians -- not all 
trafficking victims are routinely provided relief. 
 
-- 28 E. (SBU) Government-run shelters for children may assist 
victims through provision of longer-term shelter.  Most assistance, 
however, is provided through NGOs or church-based organizations. 
 
 
 
-- 28 F. (SBU) The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare directly 
operates programs in three districts to provide orphans and 
vulnerable children with basic food assistance, support for school 
fees, counseling for victimized children, HIV/AIDS education, and 
medical assistance.  The government also manages a small number of 
children's homes for vulnerable and orphaned children. However, all 
such government services are overwhelmed and under-funded. The 
government primarily depends on NGOs and IOs to provide shelter 
services. Several NGOs, including Child Protection Services, Girl 
Child Network, and Save the Children Norway, also manage children's 
shelters. IOM, Musasa Project, and Oasis Trust offer shelter 
services and support to adult trafficking victims. In most cases, 
the shelter, health care, counseling, and reintegration services 
are paid for by the NGOs and IOs. 
 
 
 
(SBU) The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare and UNICEF have 
agreements with 21 NGOs to advance the National Action Plan for 
Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), designed to ensure that 
orphans and vulnerable children are able to access education, food, 
health services, and birth registrations and were protected from 
abuse and exploitation. During the reporting period, UNICEF 
reported that the NGOs involved in the program had reached 100,000 
OVC with comprehensive support and protection. Additionally, the 
Department of Social Welfare (under the Ministry of Labor and 
Social Welfare) works closely with IOM and Save the Children Norway 
to provide protection for children deported from South Africa 
received at the IOM Reception Centers in Beitbridge and Plumtree, 
Zimbabwe. Additionally, the district council of Beitbridge has a 
dedicated child protection officer and convenes a child protection 
committee. 
 
 
 
(SBU) The government has a referral process for victims that are 
identified at IOM's transit centers in Beitbridge and Plumtree.  At 
the centers, IOM-trained Department of Social Welfare staff 
identify victims and refer them to safe houses where short, medium, 
and long-term assistance can be provided. 
 
 
 
-- 28 G. (SBU) During the reporting period, IOM assisted eleven 
victims.  None were referred by either the Victim Friendly Unit of 
the Zimbabwe Republic Police or the Department of Social Welfare. 
Due to the government's lack of capacity and resources, all victims 
were assisted by non-governmental organizations. 
 
 
 
-- 28 H.  (SBU) The government's law enforcement, immigration, and 
social services do not have a formal system for proactively 
 
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identifying victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with 
whom they may come in contact.  Interpol and IOM-sponsored training 
programs have educated a limited number of government officials to 
better identify potential victims. 
 
 
 
-- 28 I. (SBU) The rights of trafficking victims are not always 
respected. Once identified as a trafficking victim, the government 
usually refers the victim to an NGO or IO for assistance in an 
expeditious manner. We are, however, aware of at least one 
instance, described in question 25B, when victims were detained and 
deported. 
 
 
 
-- 28 J. (SBU) The government encourages victims to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of traffickers; however, the lack of 
resources impedes the ability of the police to pursue many cases. 
Victims may file a civil suit or seek legal action against 
traffickers. The Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act provides for 
victim restitution and compensation. The law does not preclude 
witnesses or victims in a court case against a former employer from 
seeking other employment or leaving the country. In practice, in 
order to file a civil suit, victims must stay in Zimbabwe and face 
serious administrative hurdles. In the case of the two Indians, as 
described in question 25B, the men chose to leave Zimbabwe as 
quickly as possible rather than attempt to seek justice through the 
overcrowded courts. In the case of the seven men trafficked from 
Zimbabwe to Angola, they have not seen any progress in their case 
in months. 
 
 
 
-- 28 K. (SBU) The government does not provide its own specialized 
training on trafficking; however, government officials attended 15 
IOM training workshops that focused on trafficking and how to 
recognize trafficking victims during the reporting period. In order 
to streamline coordination and exchange of information on human 
trafficking and sensitizing on the usage of stolen and fraudulent 
documents by traffickers in Zimbabwe, IOM in partnership with 
Interpol NCB Harare conducted a workshop for consular officials at 
embassies in Harare. The workshop also created a platform to share 
the latest counter-trafficking developments in Zimbabwe and within 
the SADC region.  The Interpol NCB Zimbabwe office, the Department 
of Immigration, and the Department of Social Welfare were in 
contact with South African authorities to coordinate victim 
assistance and investigations in ongoing cases during the reporting 
period.  IOM also began to implement a project entitled "Prevention 
And Protection Of Youth And Children From The Risk And Realities Of 
Human Trafficking In Zimbabwe" in the provinces of Harare, 
Bulawayo, Midlands, Manicaland, Masvingo, Matebeleland South, and 
Matebeleland North. The project included training workshops 
targeting teachers and youths in primary and secondary schools in 
Manicaland, Midlands, and Bulawayo Provinces. The workshops aimed 
to strengthen capacities of primary and secondary schools to 
address child trafficking as well as to offer protection to young 
victims of trafficking. The training aimed to ensure that teachers 
and students are actively involved and better equipped to prevent 
child trafficking, protect child and youth victims of trafficking, 
and to advocate for prosecution of traffickers. 
 
 
 
-- 28 L. (SBU) The government primarily relies on IOM and other 
NGOs and IOs to provide assistance, such as medical aid, shelter, 
or financial help to its nationals who are repatriated as victims 
of trafficking. 
 
 
 
-- 28 M. (SBU) IOM, UNICEF, Save the Children Norway, and Save the 
Children UK work with a network of local NGOs to support 
trafficking victims. The government has seen IOM as the leading 
organization in addressing human trafficking and has supported all 
activities undertaken by IOM including training of law enforcement 
 
HARARE 00000158  012 OF 014 
 
 
and social service providers, as well as the recently launched 
national toll-free hotline for counter-trafficking funded by IOM. 
IOM and the NGO Oasis Trust launched the hotline in December 2008 
for trafficking victims and for people to report suspected cases of 
trafficking. The hotline worked successfully for three weeks but 
then became non-functional when the telephone line stopped working. 
As of mid-February 2010 it remains out of service. 
 
 
 
(SBU) NGOs that provide assistance to victims include Connect 
(training for counselors of abuse victims), Corridors of Hope 
(HIV/AIDS education and counseling), Childline (children's crisis 
hotline), Streets Ahead (counseling and shelter for children), Girl 
Child Network (shelter, skills building, and counseling for abused 
and trafficked girls), Oasis Trust and Musasa Project (shelter and 
counseling for domestic abuse and trafficking victims), and The 
Center (counseling for HIV/AIDS patients).  These groups reported 
that they generally received good cooperation from local 
authorities, but that the level of cooperation often depended on 
the location. In some areas, officials were difficult to work with 
because they did not understand trafficking or denied any problem 
existed. In other areas, officials were very cooperative and eager 
to receive training and other assistance in building capacity. In 
cases involving children, the Department of Social Welfare, 
Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, and local child protection 
committees were involved in placing the child with family or 
finding a suitable solution. The government generally ensured that 
victims received adequate care from service providers. 
 
 
 
------------------- 
 
PREVENTION 
 
------------------- 
 
 
 
-- 29 A. (SBU) The government did not conduct anti-trafficking 
information or education campaigns during the reporting period. 
All anti-trafficking campaigns were conducted by IOM. The state-run 
media continues to print and air messages about the dangers of 
illegal migration and that warn the public about false employment 
scams, underage and forced marriages, prostitution, and 
exploitative labor conditions. Notably, government-run media did 
not air anti-trafficking messages at reduced rates, despite 
requests by IOM. During the year, an IOM anti-trafficking radio 
campaign aired in five languages on all four government-controlled 
radio stations, which broadcast the public service announcement 
eight times per day during the peak migration periods. The 
government radio stations are a primary source of information 
throughout the country, especially in the rural areas. These 
awareness materials and radio spots include government and IOM 
contact details for victims to call for assistance or information. 
This year IOM expanded its outreach by advertising its capacity to 
investigate overseas job offers. As a result, IOM reported 
receiving more calls about fake job offers. IOM was unable to 
provide exact statistics. 
 
 
 
-- 29 B. (SBU) The Department of Immigration does not currently 
have the ability to systematically monitor the growing number of 
illegal migrants deported from South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia 
to effectively identify emerging trafficking patterns. Immigration 
officials do screen for potential victims; however, the government 
primarily depends on IOM protection officers and in-take procedures 
to identify victims. 
 
 
 
-- 29 C. (SBU) The government has an inter-ministerial taskforce on 
trafficking made up of senior government officials that was 
established in April 2006; however, it still lacks a multi-agency 
 
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operational working group that can effectively combat the 
trafficking problem in practice. The head of the inter-ministerial 
taskforce is a senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
The taskforce's goals include: (1) criminalizing human trafficking 
through enactment of legislation, (2) information dissemination on 
the dangers of trafficking, (3) creating a center to specifically 
deal with trafficked persons and assist those seeking advice, (4) 
intercepting traffickers by monitoring print and electronic media 
for possible trafficking schemes, and (5) training anti-trafficking 
experts at all formal entry and exit points of the country. The 
taskforce has not achieved any of its goals. In terms of specific 
cases, the Interpol NCB Zimbabwe office is the point of contact for 
cases requiring international cooperation, and the VFU of the ZRP 
serves as the lead for cases involving internal trafficking. The 
government does have a public corruption commission, but it is 
under-funded, politicized, and has yet to register any notable 
accomplishments. 
 
 
 
-- 29 D. (SBU) The government does not have a national plan of 
action to address trafficking in persons. IOM continues to organize 
all NGOs and IOs that work on trafficking to complete a resource 
and gap assessment exercise before approaching the government to 
form a stakeholders working group. 
 
 
 
(SBU) The government generally has a good working relationship with 
international organizations and NGOs on trafficking-related issues. 
Unlike in previous years, there have not been reports of government 
harassment of NGOs working on the trafficking issue. 
 
 
 
-- 29 E. (SBU) During the reporting period, the government did not 
take any specific steps to reduce the demand for commercial sex 
acts. 
 
 
 
-- 29 F. (SBU) During the reporting period, the government did not 
take any steps towards reducing the participation in international 
child sex tourism by its nationals.  Post is unaware of any cases 
of international child sex tourism involving Zimbabweans. 
 
 
 
-- 29 G. (SBU) An assessment of Zimbabwe's efforts to ensure that 
its troops deployed abroad for international peacekeeping missions 
do not engage in or facilitate trafficking or exploited trafficking 
victims was unavailable for this reporting period. 
 
 
 
----------------------- 
 
PARTNERSHIPS 
 
----------------------- 
 
 
 
-- 30 A. (U) There is increasing interest among some government 
officials in strengthening partnerships with other governments, 
civil society, and international organizations to address 
trafficking. However, the government has not dedicated any 
resources to this effort. 
 
 
 
-- 30 B. (U) The Government of Zimbabwe does not provide assistance 
to other countries to address TIP. 
 
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--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
EVIDENCE OF CHILD SOLDIERS 
 
DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
 
 
¶2. (U) There is no evidence of child soldiers in the Zimbabwean 
military, as described in the definitions in the Child Soldiers 
Prevention Act of 2008. As per paragraph 22 of reftel, there is no 
evidence of conscription or forced recruitment of persons under the 
age of 18 into governmental armed forces; voluntary recruitment of 
any person under 15 years of age into governmental armed forces; or 
persons under the age of 18 taking a direct part in hostilities as 
a member of governmental armed forces. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) There is, however, anecdotal evidence of recruitment (both 
forced and voluntary) of persons under the age of 18 by armed 
groups distinct from those of the governmental armed forces, namely 
ZANU-PF-affiliated groups known as "youth militias." During the 
2008 election period, primarily between early May and late June, 
hundreds of youths, including some believed to be under the age of 
18, participated in government-sponsored violence aimed at 
intimidating Zimbabweans to stop them from supporting the 
then-opposition Movement for Democratic Change. Although there is 
no documentary evidence of the ages of the youths, citizens 
reported they knew some members of the youth militias because they 
were from the same communities. These people reported that members 
of the youth militias, almost exclusively boys, were mostly over 18 
but included some as young as 16. The youth militias became largely 
inactive after the signing of the September 2008 Global Political 
Agreement that led to the formation of the coalition government in 
February 2009. Although the youth militias are generally inactive, 
many Zimbabweans believe they could be re-constituted at any time 
if so ordered by ZANU-PF. Youths, including those under 18, are 
generally lured to join the youth militia with the promise of food, 
money, and safety. Some reportedly joined youth militias to keep 
themselves and their own families safe from violence. High 
unemployment and the high cost of education make youth militias 
attractive primarily as a means to secure an income. 
Dhanani