A man was fined US$30 for trafficking 60 women from Zimbabwe to Zambia but was allowed to cross with the women, the Member of Parliament for Bulawayo East Thabitha Khumalo told parliament on Tuesday.
Contributing to the debate on the Trafficking in Persons Bill, Khumalo said if one checked the internet on the number of women being trafficked, there was nothing yet they were being trafficked.
It was therefore important to take the bill to the people so that those affected could make their contribution before the bill is brought to parliament.
Full contribution:
MS. T.KHUMALO: I would like to support the Bill on trafficking but I beg to differ from the last hon. member. Mr. Speaker Sir, we have drafted our Constitution as Zimbabweans. Why did we take the Zimbabwean Constitution to the people? It is because we wanted the mandate of the people and for them to understand the need for us to have a new Constitution. So, when it comes to issues of people trafficking, there is a great need for us to go back to the people, to those that are affected so that they can share with us how they have gone through that.
The Constitution is very clear – we have to take this Bill to the people first and we have people who have been trafficked who can tell us their story in order for us to make proper legislation to protect them.
I will give you an example Mr. Speaker Sir I happened to be at the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. Sixty women were being trafficked and they crossed on different borders. The officials only arrested the trafficking them and he paid a fine of US$30.00. After paying the fine of US$30.00, those same women crossed the border with the fined trafficker. So, we need to consult the civic society to at least attain the statistics of the people that are being trafficked.
Mr. Speaker Sir, if you go to the internet checking for statistics of women that are being trafficked, there is nothing but those women are there. So, I beg to differ; this Bill has to go to the people in terms of the Zimbabwean Constitution that was made by the people of Zimbabwe for the people of Zimbabwe. I thank you.
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