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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001500 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR S. HILL 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN 
USAID FOR M. COPSON AND E. LOKEN 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2011 
TAGS: PHUM ELAB USAID ZI
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON EFFORTS TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 184972 
 
Classified By: Charge Eric Schultz under Section 1.5 b/d 
 
¶1. Retransmission of Harare 1490 with correct subject line. 
 
(C) Summary. Recent developments in the GOZ's efforts to 
combat trafficking are encouraging, but we remain guarded 
that they have the political will and resources to follow 
through on stated plans.  Since April, the government has 
established an inter-ministerial taskforce, a woman was 
sentenced to 43 months in jail for a trafficking-related 
offense, senior officials attended an IOM trafficking 
seminar, and the government announced plans to ratify 
trafficking protocols and enact domestic legislation.  NGOs 
and international organizations report a good working 
relationship with the government, and they are holding 
meetings amongst themselves to coordinate their efforts and 
keep pressure on the GOZ.  For our part, the Charge met with 
the MFA to express our support for the government's efforts 
and to offer our assistance, where appropriate.  End Summary. 
 
-------------------------- 
Encouraging Signs from GOZ 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) The Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) has taken several 
encouraging steps against trafficking in recent months.  In 
April the government established an inter-ministerial 
taskforce made up of senior officials from relevant 
ministries as well as the federal police and the Attorney 
General's office.  In June a local magistrate sentenced a 
woman to 43 months in jail under the Sexual Offenses Act for 
transporting a minor girl to the border with South Africa and 
forcing her in to prostitution.  This is the first 
trafficking-related conviction we know of in Zimbabwe. 
 
¶3. (U) On November 16 numerous senior GOZ officials, 
including members of the inter-ministerial taskforce, 
attended a trafficking seminar hosted by the International 
Organization for Migration (IOM).  During his remarks at the 
seminar, Tedeous Chifamba, head of multilateral affairs in 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the GOZ was 
preparing to ratify the UN and SADC protocols on trafficking 
and that the Attorney General's Office was drafting 
trafficking legislation that would be ready for consideration 
by parliament in early 2007. 
 
¶4. (U) During the seminar, the GOZ also expressed interest in 
partnering with IOM on several anti-trafficking projects. 
The GOZ asked IOM for assistance in conducting a joint 
assessment of the trafficking problem in Zimbabwe, in 
developing a trafficking curriculum for schools, and in 
creating advocacy programs to raise awareness.  IOM told us 
that they were interested in providing the requested 
assistance, but lack funding to do so at this point. 
 
¶5.  (U) UNICEF and Save the Children Foundation Norway (SCFN) 
told us that they have been receiving good cooperation in 
their work at the IOM-managed immigrant center in the town of 
Beitbridge on the border with South Africa. 
 
----------------------------- 
What the NGOs & IOs Are Doing 
----------------------------- 
 
 
HARARE 00001500  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6. (U) In early 2007, IOM plans to kick-off a one-year five 
country (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, and Botswana) 
study to examine cross-border trafficking for the sex 
industry.  The study is funded through IOM's Southern African 
Counter-Trafficking Assistance Programme (SACTAP) managed in 
Pretoria, South Africa.  Our IOM contact also told us that 
SACTAP has some funding to establish a shelter (or add 
capacity to an existing one) in Zimbabwe the will provide 
victim's services (including shelter, food, medical 
treatment, counseling, and reintegration) to women and 
children trafficked for the sex industry.  IOM also received 
funding from the British High Commission to do a three-month 
child trafficking study in Zimbabwe.  UNICEF is sponsoring a 
child migration study to be conducted by SCFN and Save the 
Children Foundation UK (SCFUK) that will include a look at 
child trafficking as well. 
 
--------------------- 
Our Role & Next Steps 
--------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) On December 6 the Charge and poloff met with Vova 
Chikanda, Director of the America's Desk at the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, to express our support for the government's 
recent efforts and to offer our assistance, where 
appropriate.  Chikanda noted the importance of collaboration 
and said he would pass on our message to the 
inter-ministerial taskforce with the suggestion that they 
meet with us in the near future. 
 
¶8. (C) Poloff subsequently organized a December 14 meeting 
with representatives from IOM, UNICEF, British High 
Commission, British Department for International Development 
(DFID), SCFN and SCFUK to discuss coordination and pressure 
on the GOZ to continue anti-trafficking efforts.  We agreed 
it would be constructive to focus attention and resources on 
one or two specific areas, such as Beitbridge and Harare, in 
order to help keep the GOZ focused on manageable and 
realistic goals. 
 
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Comment 
------- 
 
¶9. (C) Despite the positive signs of progress, we remain 
skeptical that the GOZ has the resources and capacity to 
follow through on combating trafficking.  Nevertheless, it 
does appear motivated to be removed from Tier 3 and appears 
to see this effort as a way to develop some common ground in 
their bilateral relationship with us.  We plan to continue to 
meet with the GOZ and to press them on this issue.  At the 
same time, now would be an opportune time to ensure that NGOs 
and IOs have the necessary resources to provide training and 
build capacity in the areas of victim,s services and law 
enforcement.  In that regard, we await the G/TIP RFP. 
SCHULTZ