Marondera Woman (31) In Court For Human Trafficking
A Marondera woman appeared in court on Wednesday on allegations of recruiting people and selling them to prospective buyers in Oman to work as housemaids.
Karen Pamela Teguru (31) was arraigned before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa facing charges of violating the Trafficking of People Act.
Teguru was remanded in custody pending trial.
The court heard that between January and August 2022, Teguru connived with one Hamidah believed to be in Oman and others who are still at large to traffic Portia Kalesi and Namatirai Muchacha for the purpose of labour and domestic exploitation.
Teguru allegedly identified, recruited, processed travelling documents, and arranged medical examinations for the two and escorted them to Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport destined for Oman instead of Dubai as promised.
It is further alleged that Kalesi and Muchacha realised that they had been duped upon arrival at Muscat International Airport in Oman instead of Dubai as promised.
Teguru’s accomplices allegedly provided money for medical examinations, air tickets, processing of visas and sourcing of markets in which the two would be sold well before they had reached Oman.
Upon arrival in Oman, Hamidah sold the two to buyers who in turn confiscated their travelling documents and drove them to different locations where they were forced to work as housemaids.
The two were allegedly subjected to domestic servitude, working around the clock, feeding on leftovers, being physically abused and denied freedom of movement by being restricted indoors.
The matter came to light when the two reported the matter to their relatives back home who in turn reported that matter to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).
The two eventually fled from their abusers and met with the Zimbabwean delegation dispatched to Oman to repatriate them.
More: Pindula News
