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Harare Rejects US Human Trafficking Allegations
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=12864B6:3919ACA A
U.S. reports says Zimbabwean children are trafficked internally for
forced labor, while women and girls are lured to South Africa, China,
Egypt and Zambia for domestic servitude or commercial sexual
exploitation A Zimbabwean government spokesman rejected findings of a
U.S. State Department report released this week which listed the
country among the offenders in the area of trafficking in human
beings. It said Zimbabwe, downgraded from second tier to third tier
status in 2006, had lacked the “political will” in 2005 to address the
problem.

The report issued by the U.S. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking
in Persons states that: "Zimbabwean children may be trafficked
internally for forced agricultural labor, domestic servitude, and
sexual exploitation. Trafficked women and girls are lured out of the
country to South Africa, China, Egypt, and Zambia with false job or
scholarship promises that result in domestic servitude or commercial
sexual exploitation. There are reports of South African employers
demanding sex from undocumented Zimbabwean workers under threat of
deportation. Women and children from Malawi, Zambia, and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo transit Zimbabwe en route to South
Africa. Small numbers of South African girls are trafficked to
Zimbabwe for domestic labor."

The report said that, "The Government of Zimbabwe does not fully
comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking
and is not making significant efforts to do so."

But William Nhara, a spokesman for President Robert Mugabe as
principle director of public and interactive affairs in Mr. Mugabe's
office, countered the report saying that Zimbabwe neither abets nor
promotes human trafficking as the U.S. alleges. He said Zimbabwe does
not serve as a transit country for traffickers moving their victims to
South Africa, saying that Harare enforces tough immigration and visa
laws.

Zimbabwean nongovernmental organizations such as the Girl Child
Network said they were were not aware of human trafficking,
specifically that of women and children.

But a former chairman of Transparency International Zimbabwe said he
believes there is substance to the charges. John Makumbe, also a
University of Zimbabwe lecturer, spoke with reporter Ndimyake
Mwakalyele of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe.

More reports from VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe...

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