Cases of human trafficking soar with most attribut...

Cases of human trafficking soar with most attributed to social media spaces

Director of legal services for the Inter-ministerial committee on trafficking in persons, Prisca Madziviridze, has revealed that Zimbabwe recorded a rise in cases of human trafficking in 2022 with 139 people falling victim while seeking jobs abroad.

Addressing the Parliament Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services, Madziviridze said the majority of human trafficking victims were recruited through social media.

“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.

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,” she said.

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, scores of women were trafficked to Oman to work as domestic workers under terrible conditions including being paid between US$60 to US$80 per month.