Zimbabwe mooted the idea of coming up with anti-trafficking legislation more than three years ago.
An advisor to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Rosie Zigomo, consulted local non-governmental organisations that provided assistance to victims of trafficking and those that were researching trafficking.
Zigomo told United States embassy officials that Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Gorden Moyo agreed that anti-trafficking legislation should be on the legislative agenda and agreed to spearhead the issue.
Deputy Minister of Justice Jessie Majome said attorney-general Johannes Tomana also got interested in the issue after being invited to South Africa by the national Prosecuting Authority.
South Africa wanted Zimbabwe to pass anti-trafficking legislation before the 2010 World Cup.
According to Majome, Tomana was surprised that “even Mozambique” had introduced anti-trafficking legislation and on his return to Zimbabwe, Tomana told Minister of Justice Patrick Chinamasa and Majome that Zimbabwe should move to introduce such legislation.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 09HARARE678, ZIMBABWE TIER 3 TIP ASSESSMENT: MOVING IN THE
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXYZ0007
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHSB #0678/01 2311604
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY ADA13049 MSI5340-695)
O 191604Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4841
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2996
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 3111
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1540
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2374
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2741
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 3159
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 5604
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS HARARE 000678
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION
G FOR A.C. BLANK
AF/S FOR B. WALCH
DRL FOR N. WILETT
G/TIP FOR R. YOUSEY AND J. SIGMON
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC KDEM KTIP PGOV PHUM PREL ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE TIER 3 TIP ASSESSMENT: MOVING IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION–BUT SLOWLY
REF: A. SECSTATE 64062
¶B. SECSTATE 81476
¶C. HARARE 650
¶1. (U) This cable serves as a response to the Department’s
request for information (Ref B) on Zimbabwe’s progress
towards improving its performance in addressing
anti-trafficking issues. In response to Zimbabwe’s recent
Tier 3 ranking in the Trafficking in Persons report, Post has
encouraged the Zimbabwean gvernment to take action as
described in the Tier 3 Action Plan on legislation, victim
protection, and public awareness (Ref A).
——————————————–
Pace Quickening Towards Anti-TIP legislation
——————————————–
¶2. (SBU) Officials in the Prime Minister’s office, the
Parliament, the Foreign Ministry and the Justice Ministry
agreed that anti-trafficking legislation is important. The
Prime Minister’s office has taken up the issue and begun to
consult with stakeholders with an eye towards drafting a
comprehensive anti-trafficking bill. Advisor to the Prime
Minister Rosie Zigomo, a lawyer by training, is consulting
with local NGOs that provide assistance to trafficking
victims and that are researching trafficking in Zimbabwe.
The local office of the International Organization for
Migration employs a consultant who has been working with the
Parliament’s legal advisor, Choice Damiso, to establish a
framework for a new law. Zigomo told poloff that she and
Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Gordon
Moyo had brought the issue and the recent Tier 3 ranking to
the attention of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who agrees
that anti-trafficking legislation should be on the
legislative agenda for 2009-2010. Minister Moyo has agreed
to spearhead the issue. He plans on proposing draft
legislation in Cabinet, which will then forward the issue to
Parliament. Moyo has asked Zigomo to review sample
legislation from other African nations (which Post has
provided with the assistance of G/TIP) and to prepare
briefing papers on trafficking in Zimbabwe. Post is helping
Zigomo identify local civil society organizations to prepare
the briefing papers and to serve as sources for consultation.
Zigomo told us on August 10 that Minister Moyo plans to
introduce the topic of anti-trafficking legislation in the
cabinet meeting held during the week of August 17. After the
issue is presented in cabinet, Zigomo told us that PM
Tsvangirai plans on issuing a public statement against
trafficking.
¶3. (SBU) We anticipate ZANU-PF members of parliament will
agree with the push to prioritize anti-TIP legislation.
Deputy Minister of Justice Jessie Majome told us on July 27
that Attorney General Johannes Tomana was recently invited to
South Africa by the South African National Prosecuting
Authority. The South Africans used the meeting to encourage
Zimbabwe to pass anti-trafficking legislation in advance of
the 2010 World Cup, to be held in South Africa in May and
June 2010. According to Majome, Tomana was surprised that
“even Mozambique” had introduced anti-trafficking
legislation. On his return to Zimbabwe, Tomana told Minister
Qlegislation. On his return to Zimbabwe, Tomana told Minister
of Justice Patrick Chinamasa and Majome that Zimbabwe should
move to introduce such legislation. In addition, a respected
South African research organization, Durban-based Human
Sciences Resource Council (HSRC), recently visited Zimbabwe
and spoke with poloff on human trafficking in Zimbabwe. He
told us that the HSRC had been commissioned by the South
African Government to research trafficking in Zimbabwe,
Lesotho, and Swaziland in advance of the World Cup. This
regional pressure is likely to be effective towards
encouraging the Zimbabwean government to introduce and pass
an anti-trafficking law.
—————————-
Victim Protection Still Weak
—————————-
¶4. (SBU) Post has no evidence of enhanced law enforcement and
social welfare capacity to meet trafficking victim needs; a
recent trafficking case (Ref C) confirms this weakness. In
this most recent case, the Zimbabwean embassy in Angola
proved extraordinarily helpful in facilitating the
repatriation of Zimbabwean trafficking victims.
Unfortunately, when their case entered the Ministry of Labor
— the only appropriate venue to prosecute the trafficking
perpetrators given the absence of anti-trafficking
legislation — the government’s response quickly
deteriorated. We have shared the details of this ongoing
case with Zigomo and Magwenzi, who both recognized the need
for a more holistic approach by the GOZ in providing support
for trafficking victims. While the GOZ has not yet addressed
these shortcomings, the acknowledgment of the need to expand
support will pave the way for further government action.
———————
No Media Campaign Yet
———————
¶5. (SBU) Post has recorded no progress on the third element
in the action plan: an expanded nationwide awareness
campaign. Post will continue engagement on this issue.
DHANANI
(79 VIEWS)
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