A human trafficking mastermind has been sentenced to five years in prison for her despicable actions.
Janet Maromo paid a woman R25,000 in exchange for her two-day-old baby, intending to smuggle the infant to Australia.
Maromo was convicted of contravening the Trafficking in Persons Act after trafficking the newborn from South Africa to Zimbabwe.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the biological mother,  Pauline Maganga, had sold the infant to the offender, who then transported the child across the border.
While the presiding magistrate, Donald Ndirowei, acknowledged that there were some special circumstances in this case, such as the offender’s misunderstanding of the adoption laws in both countries and their lack of sophistication, the gravity of the crime could not be overlooked.
The biological mother’s role in influencing the offender’s actions was also considered but did not absolve the trafficker of their responsibility.
Maganga, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in May 2024 for her involvement in the case, testified that she first connected with Marimo through a Facebook adoption group in March 2023.
As the group’s administrator, Marimo facilitated discussions about adoption among its six members, which included individuals from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the United States.

Pindula News

A woman named Janet Maromo was sentenced to five years in jail for buying a two-day-old baby for R25,000 to take to Australia. She broke the law about trafficking people by moving the baby from South Africa to Zimbabwe. The baby's mother, Pauline Maganga, sold the baby to Maromo. Maganga got ten years in jail for her part in the crime. Maromo didn't know the adoption laws in both countries well. She met Maganga on Facebook in 2023 in an adoption group. Maromo talked to six people in the group from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the United States about adoption.

Woman Who Bought A Baby For R25,000 Sentenced To Five Years

More than 40 Zimbabweans are reportedly stranded in Sierra Leone after being lured to the West African nation with promises of lucrative jobs by a local company working with a foreign entity.
It is alleged that upon arriving in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, the group discovered that the jobs they were promised did not exist, leaving them in a desperate situation.
Authorities have classified the stranded Zimbabweans as victims of human trafficking.
A government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/traffickers-leave-40-locals-stranded-in-sierra-leone/">The Herald</a> that seven of the Zimbabweans managed to return home last week, while another four were expected to arrive on Tuesday but did not show up. Said the official:
<blockquote>
These people were duped into going to that country; they went with the promise of jobs but got a raw deal.
Investigations are still underway, but it seems there is a lot of negotiation taking place to release our citizens.
This issue has been silent. There is a push to release more citizens.
</blockquote>
Another official from the Social Welfare Department within the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare told The Herald that the identities of the human trafficking victims will remain confidential. Said the official:
<blockquote>
I have just been informed that the identities of human trafficking victims are protected and cannot be published.
I have received several inquiries about this issue, but after consulting with relevant authorities, I have been advised that the victims are protected under the Human Trafficking Act.
I have been told that even when the victims return home, their relatives will not be informed of their arrival, as this could potentially compromise their safety and the concern is that human trafficking rings may attempt to track down and re-traffick the victims.
</blockquote>
Simon Masanga, the Permanent Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, confirmed that the victims have not yet arrived.
He also revealed that a well-wisher is sponsoring the victims, and the government has launched an investigation into the matter.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

More than 40 people from Zimbabwe went to Sierra Leone for jobs but found out they were lied to, leaving them stranded. Some managed to come back, but the rest are still stuck. The authorities are calling it human trafficking. They are investigating and trying to bring back the victims safely. The victims' identities are being kept confidential for their safety. The government is looking into the situation and helping the victims. Everyone is working to bring them back home and keep them safe.

Over 40 Zimbabweans Stranded In Sierra Leone After Job Scam

A Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) member, Forward Mashonganyika, and Tendai Muswe who trafficked three women to Oman were on Thursday, 07 March, sentenced to 20 years imprisonment each at the Harare Magistrates’ Court.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said sometime between 02 February and 31 August 2022, Mashonganyika and Muswe acting in cahoots with Mohammed Ali Al Shihhi lured three unsuspecting women via WhatsApp to Oman for forced labour and sexual exploitation.
The accused persons created a WhatsApp group through which they misrepresented to the complainants that they were employment agents recruiting people who wished to work in Dubai.
The women only realised that they had been tricked when they arrived in Oman instead of being taken to Dubai as promised.
They were received by Mohammed Ali Al Shihhi who took away their passports and forced them to work as housemaids.
The women were subjected to sexual exploitation, and domestic servitude and were fed on leftovers. They were also not permitted to go outside the house.
The matter came to light when the complainants managed to report their situation to their families back home. The matter was reported to the Police.
Investigations revealed that Mashonganyika and Muswe received US$74, US$200 and US$500 for the role they played in the trafficking of the three women.
The women were repatriated back to Zimbabwe on 15 August 2022 following intervention by the Government of Zimbabwe.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Police Officer Jailed 20 Years For Trafficking 3 Women To Oman

A suspended police officer and his niece have been convicted of trafficking three women to Oman where they were turned into sex slaves.
According to <a href="https://www.hmetro.co.zw/suspended-cop-jailed-for-trafficking-women-to-oman/">H-Metro</a>, Forward Mashonganyika and his niece, Tendai Muswe, were convicted after a full trial by Harare regional magistrate Estere Chivasa on Wednesday, 06 March.
Muswe is currently serving three years in prison for a similar offence.
In her ruling, magistrate Chivasa said the State had proved their case beyond reasonable doubt.
The magistrate said the three women proved to be credible witnesses. She said:
<blockquote>
Besides facilitating the trafficking from Zimbabwe to Oman, the other issue is that there must be evidence of deceitfulness. Several things aren’t in dispute.
According to their defence, the three women stayed at Mashonganyika’s place of residence once and it’s not in dispute that they travelled to Oman.
They were excited to fly for the first time and, when they flew, they believed they were flying to Dubai to work in hotels and restaurants. It’s not in dispute that they went to Oman, not Dubai.
</blockquote>
The magistrate said the trafficked women were enslaved, assaulted, denied food and salaries, denied rest, and sexually assaulted in Oman before being deported to Zimbabwe. She said:
<blockquote>
It’s not in dispute that they were allocated to work as slaves and none of the two is denying that they were enslaved, assaulted, denied food and salaries, denied rest, sexually assaulted and deported back to Zimbabwe.
The only thing in dispute is whether they facilitated their trafficking to Oman and they denied any involvement, but the State led evidence from several witnesses and I listened carefully to how they were linking the duo to the trafficking.
The evidence was cemented by that of the investigating officer through whom documents of money they received from Mohamed Ali in Oman were tendered.
</blockquote>
There are several harrowing tales of Zimbabwean women who were trafficked to Oman after being promised a brighter future in the Middle East.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Suspended Police Officer Jailed For Trafficking Women To Oman

A 41-year-old Zimbabwean woman’s incarceration in a South African jail continues after her bail application was postponed to next week for further argument in court.
According to <a href="https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/trafficking-court/">SABC News</a>, the Investigating Officer in the case told the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court in the Northern Cape that the woman was a flight risk.
The woman, whose identity has not been revealed, was arrested in December 2023, alongside a 46-year-old man after they were seen travelling with 14 undocumented children on a bus from Midrand to Cape Town.
The investigating officer told the court that the accused’s travel documents did not correspond with the dates on her passport.
She further stated that the Zimbabwean woman is a flight risk as she does not have a valid home address in South Africa and might flee the country if released on bail.
The officer also testified that the 14 children would also be in danger if the woman was released.
The defence is expected to continue with their arguments next week and the accused remains in custody.
The woman, and a man also reported to be Zimbabwean, were found on a long-distance bus with undocumented minors in their company – eight boys and six girls aged six to 14 years.
They appeared in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on 7 December on charges of human trafficking.
The duo was arrested by a multi-disciplinary team comprising of Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Kimberley Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit and Kimberley Crime Prevention, according to Hawks spokesperson, Lt Col. Tebogo Thebe.
Last month, Border Management Authority (BMA), a South African law enforcement agency, said that it intercepted 42 buses carrying 443 unaccompanied minors were intercepted at Beitbridge Border Post.
However, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Kazembe Kazembe said that claims by South African officials that 42 buses carrying 443 unaccompanied minors were intercepted at Beitbridge Border Post on the SA side were false.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwean Woman Accused Of Child Trafficking In South Africa Remanded In Custody

Police in Bulawayo have dismissed social media reports that a man from the Barbourfields suburb was holding three schoolchildren at his home against their will.
A social media post stated that there was a man, Dalubuhle Ngwenya, who was involved in human trafficking.
The post also provided Ngwenya’s address, saying he was well connected with the police and he was not afraid of anyone.
However, the ZRP spokesperson in Bulawayo Province, Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele dismissed the social media posts.
She told the <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/police-dismiss-human-trafficking-hoax/">Chronicle</a> that police interviewed Ngwenya who said he suspects his ex-wife was behind the social media post. Said Asst Insp Msebele:
<blockquote>
In response to the social media message on human trafficking which is circulating, police in Bulawayo did preliminary investigations and nothing detrimental was found.
The suspect Dalubuhle Ngwenya a male adult aged 42 years of Barbourfields was interviewed and stated that he is processing a divorce with his wife and he believes that the message is meant to discredit him…
The two girls are known. One of them is a stepdaughter to Ngwenya meaning that she is a daughter to his to-be ex-wife and once lived in that house and often comes to the house, ruling out the human trafficking offence.
Efforts are being made to locate the two girls and according to the investigations done the two teenagers are delinquents and mischievous.
</blockquote>
Msebele warned members of the public against using social media to settle their personal scores or to settle their differences.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Police Dismiss Human Trafficking Social Media Post

The Government says it plans to repatriate more Zimbabweans who are stranded in Oman, an Arab country located in Western Asia.
The Zimbabwean nationals, the majority of who were females, were lured into slavery through false promises of well-paying domestic work in Oman.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/govt-to-repatriate-more-nationals-stuck-in-oman">The Sunday Mail</a>, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage permanent secretary Major-General (retired) Dr. Gerald Gwinji said 107 women and men were repatriated from Middle Eastern country.
However, according to the Government’s database, about 21 Zimbabweans remain stranded in the country. Said Gwinji:
<blockquote>
In response to distress calls made by victims of trafficking in Oman, the Government of Zimbabwe allocated resources through Treasury for the repatriation of 107 Zimbabwean nationals.
Of the people repatriated back to Zimbabwe, 105 were female and two were male.
There have been several reports of Zimbabweans who have fallen victim to traffickers.
Using information extracted from the reports, a WhatsApp platform was created to facilitate coordination and to have an appreciation of the number of victims of human trafficking and, as of December 2022, at least 128 people have been trafficked to Oman, with the majority having been repatriated by Government.
Furthermore, Government is considering carrying out the second phase of the repatriation exercise to bring back stranded Zimbabwean nationals in our database.
… A total of 69 cases of trafficking in persons (TIP) involving 139 victims of trafficking were recorded and investigated.
Seven suspects were arrested for TIP in 2022 and are currently in custody pending trial, while three were arrested for domestic trafficking cases.
</blockquote>
<h2>Suspected human trafficker on the run</h2>
Police have since launched a manhunt for Jacqueline Takure, nee Chikukwa (45) who is wanted for questioning in connection with suspected human trafficking.
In 2022, Takure allegedly posed as an employment agent and misrepresented to five people that she could facilitate their employment in well-paying hotels in Dubai.
She then facilitated the travel of the victims to Oman where they had their passports confiscated by her accomplices on arrival.
<h2>Kafala System</h2>
Most Gulf nations enforce the kafala labour system. According to <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-kafala-system">the Council on Foreign Relations</a>, the system gives private citizens and companies in Jordan, Lebanon, and most Arab Gulf countries almost total control over migrant workers’ employment and immigration status.
The kafala system resembles a form of indirect slavery, making it harder for migrants to escape such dreadful situations, <a href="https://sites.bu.edu/pardeeatlas/opinions/op-ed-the-kafala-sponsorship-system-fuels-modern-day-slavery/#:~:text=This%20corrupt%20strategy%20resembles%20a,for%20contemporary%20modern%2Dday%20slavery.">according to a report</a>.
Female domestic workers who attempt to run away reportedly fall victim to sex traffickers.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Govt Plans To Repatriate More Zimbabweans Stuck In Oman

Police have launched a manhunt for a suspected human trafficker who lured several Zimbabweans women to Oman where they were subjected to slavery.
In a statement, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said Jacquiline Takure nee Chikukwa (45), facilitated the travel of the victims to Oman where they ended up being exploited. Reads the statement:
<blockquote>
The Zimbabwe Republic Police is appealing for information that may lead to the arrest of Jacquiline Takure nee Chikukwa (45) who is being sought in connection with a case of human trafficking.
Sometime in 2022, the suspect posed as an employment agent and misrepresented to five victims that there were lucrative hotel and catering jobs in Dubai.
She facilitated the travel of the victims to Oman, where upon arrival, they had their passports confiscated by the suspect’s accomplices.
The victims were sold off as slaves to different people who subjected them to domestic servitude, labour and sexual exploitation.
One of the victims managed to escape and alerted her relatives who reported the matter to the police. The victims were repatriated to Zimbabwe by the Government of Zimbabwe.
Anyone with information to call the National Complaints Desk number (0242) 703631 or WhatsApp on 0712 800 197 or report at any nearest police station.
</blockquote>

Woman (45) Wanted By Police For Human Trafficking

A Zimbabwean mother has engaged human rights lawyers in her bid to facilitate the return of her three-year-old daughter who was trafficked to South Africa allegedly by her father’s relatives.
Charlene Gugulethu Moyo’s child has been missing since December and the police allegedly initially refused to open a docket against the perpetrators.
After the intervention of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), the police have initiated investigations and are trying to engage Interpol to track the minor. The ZLHR said in a statement:
<blockquote>
The three-year-old baby was separated from her mother Charlene Gugulethu Moyo in December 2022 after her grandmother Clara Ndlovu asked Moyo to allow her grandchild to visit her home in Bulawayo and spend time with her during the festive season with the agreement that the child would be returned home towards the opening of schools in January 2023.
Moyo’s child was not returned and instead, the mother received a picture from some of Ndlovu’s relatives with information that the child was enjoying the festive season in South Africa.
</blockquote>
Moyo says her daughter did not have any travel documents such as a passport to allow entry into South Africa.
She added that she never signed an affidavit consenting to her child leaving the country.
A report was made at Pumula Police Station where Moyo was referred to the Children’s Court with advice to apply for custody of her minor child.
However, Ndlovu had travelled to her rural home in Buhera in Manicaland province and the service of summons for the grandmother to appear in court could not be effected.
As a result, the matter was never heard in court.
On 1 February 2023, ZLHR lawyer Prisca Dube engaged the police at Pumula Police Station to verify why they had refused to open a docket for the contravention of the Trafficking in Persons Act.
The following day, Dube told police officers at Pumula Police Station that in terms of the Trafficking in Persons Act, an offence had been committed and thus a docket should be opened to enable the minor child to be brought back to Zimbabwe.
On 3 February 2023, police officers advised Dube that investigations were now underway.
The father of the minor child was reportedly demanding that the mother should pay a certain cross-border driver ZAR1 000 to facilitate the return of her daughter.
On 13 February 2023, the human rights lawyer wrote a letter to the Officer-in-Charge of Pumula Police Station only identified as Inspector Madlambe asking to be furnished with a progress report on the child trafficking case.
Three days later ZRP officers contacted Dube requesting to be furnished with the minor child’s birth certificate and her clear photograph, to be sent to Interpol.

Police Refuse To Open Docket For 3-year Old Girl Trafficked To South Africa

A 25-year-old woman from Marondera was allegedly trafficked to Oman in April by an unknown Zimbabwean man who had promised her a good-paying job.
Police said the suspect made all the arrangements for the woman to travel to the Middle Eastern country and he is now demanding to be reimbursed.
The man is reportedly abusing his victim and demanding to be paid US$1 800 which he claims he used to cover the woman’s travelling expenses. The ZRP said:
<blockquote>
The ZRP is investigating a case of human trafficking where a Marondera woman (25) was lured to travel to Oman by an unknown Zimbabwean who promised her employment in April 2022.
The suspect, who arranged the travelling logistics, is reportedly abusing the victim in the foreign country, threatening her to refund the US$1800 that he claims to have used for the victim’s travelling expenses.
</blockquote>
Meanwhile, <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/marondera-woman-arrested-for-human-trafficking/">a 35-year-old woman from Marondera was arrested on allegations of trafficking two women to Oman in April this year.</a>
Farisai Mupeti appeared before a Harare magistrate facing charges of human trafficking after she allegedly lured two Zimbabweans to Oman where they were enslaved.
The trafficked women were identified as Murriam Zihumo and Isabel Mushoriwa who were both tricked into believing that they had found lucrative jobs in Dubai only to find themselves in slavery in Oman.

Job-seeking Marondera Woman (25) "Enslaved" In Oman

Zimbabwean government officials have been implicated in human trafficking, with some officials allegedly protecting the culprits.
According to the United States State Department Trafficking in Persons report on Zimbabwe, some officials are facilitating the trafficking of Zimbabweans to countries like Oman and Kuwait where they are subjected to slavery. Part of the report reads:
<blockquote>
For the fourth consecutive year, the government did not investigate serious, credible claims that complicit magistrates, judges, and senior government officials undermined judicial independence, including by bribing judges with farms and homes.
Military officers patrolling the Beitbridge border post received bribes to facilitate unauthorised crossings, including in past years from organised criminal groups likely transporting victims of human trafficking.
During the previous reporting period, an NGO assisted four potential labour trafficking victims allegedly exploited on a Member of Parliament’s farm; the government did not report any action to investigate the allegations by the end of the reporting period.
</blockquote>
According to the report, there is no political will to fight human trafficking and victims who dare report abuse are intimidated by law enforcement agents. Reads the report:
<blockquote>
The government arrested a Zimbabwean labour recruiter for recruiting Zimbabwean women to work in Oman, where they were allegedly exploited in domestic servitude; the case remained pending at the end of the reporting period.
The government reported collaborating with the governments of South Africa, Botswana and Oman on investigations involving the trafficking of Zimbabwean victims.
… Trafficking victims reported law enforcement threatened and intimidated them when they tried to report their cases.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://thenewshawks.com/government-officials-complicit-in-human-trafficking/">The NewsHawks</a>

Zim Government Officials Complicit In Human Trafficking - Report

The Government has dismissed as false a report by <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2022/06/dozens-trafficked-zimbos-stuck-in-turkey/">NewsDay</a> on 23 June 2022 alleging that dozens of Zimbabwean nationals were trafficked to Turkey and are living in slave-like conditions in the West Asian country, with no hope of escaping from captivity.
The report said the human trafficking syndicate includes individuals at the Turkish embassy, travel agents, airlines and visa agents.
It also said the Zimbabweans were lured by false promises of lucrative English language teaching jobs.
However, in a statement, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Turkey, Alfred Mutiwazuka, said the report is malicious and meant to sabotage the Government’s re-engagement efforts. Below is the statement in full:
<blockquote>
The Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe to the Republic of Türkiye strongly rebuts the misinformation and disinformation Newsday newspaper article dated 23 June 2022 titled “Dozens Trafficked Zimbabweans Stuck in Turkey.”
The newspaper article which comes on the heels of the recent celebratory statement by the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Dr O Z Muchinguri marking 40 years on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Republic of Turkey can only be described as a malicious attempt to downplay the accelerated strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries.
For the record, the Embassy of the Republic in Ankara Turkey was established in October 2019, eight years after the Embassy of Turkey had opened in Harare.
Since its opening, the Embassy has never received any report of a Zimbabwean resident in Turkey or in transit who has been ill-treated by the authorities in Turkey or ‘lives like a modern slave in Turkey.’
On the contrary, Zimbabweans working in Turkey are grateful for the warm and friendly relationships which they have cultivated with the local people and authorities.
The Embassy has also witnessed marriages and unions between Zimbabweans and Turkish people which is a clear indication of acceptance to both sides.
The current Zimbabwe population in Turkey is approximately 250 and continues to rise.
Undoubtedly, Zimbabwe and Turkey enjoy excellent bilateral relations which has witnessed exchange of high-level visits (both Government and Private Sector players) between Turkey and Zimbabwe resulting in a concomitant increase in the volumes of trade increasing from USD19 million in 2019 to USD24million in the 3rd quarter of 2021.
There is glaring energy and enthusiasm by both Government and business people in both countries to widen and deepen mutually beneficial economic cooperation.
There is no doubt that the virulent and hyperbolic falsification of the correct facts on our brotherly relations with Turkey is intentionally deceptive and inaccurate and could have been better served by the author verifying with this Embassy before publication.
The article’s intended desire to detract our diplomatic efforts to engage and re-engage as directed by HE President E D Mnangagwa will fall out of relevance as we continue to put the nations’ interests and that of our diaspora community first.
</blockquote>

Govt Refutes "Dozens Of Zimbabweans Stuck In Turkey" Report

A 35-year-old woman from Marondera appeared in court on Friday on allegations of trafficking two women to Oman.
Farisai Mupeti appeared before a Harare magistrate facing charges of human trafficking after she allegedly lured two Zimbabweans to Oman where they were enslaved.
Prosecutors told the court that one of the complainants, Murriam Zihumo left Harare in November last year under the impression that she has secured a good-paying job in Dubai.
However, Zihumo found herself in Oman where she was exploited by her employers for three months. It became apparent to the complainants that she had been bought.
The other complainant, Isabel Mushoriwa, was also tricked by Mupeti into slavery in Oman on the pretext that she had secured a lucrative job in Dubai.
The two women allegedly escaped from slavery after claiming that they needed to attend to urgent family issues.
Mupeti was arrested after the complainants returned home and reported the matter to the police.
She was remanded out of custody to 1 June since she is breastfeeding.
Mupeti’s suspected accomplice, Nyasha Allioms, is still at large and believed to be in Oman.
A human trafficking victim who escaped from Oman recently <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2022/04/13/zimbabwean-woman-recounts-ordeal-in-oman/">revealed that she lied to her bosses that her mother had died</a>. She said:
<blockquote>
After telling them that my mother had died, my bosses demanded a burial order.
My relatives back home then managed to secure a fake burial order which they sent to Oman.
The bosses demanded that my relatives buy plane tickets, including the return ticket.
After learning of my ordeal, the travelling agent sent a counterfeit return ticket, which convinced the bosses that would return to them.
I was given US$300 as my salary, but my male boss took US$100 from me saying it was surety for my return. They also barred me from packing all my clothes.
</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h4>

Marondera Woman Arrested For Human Trafficking

A Zimbabwean national who became a victim of human trafficking in Oman early this year said she was promised US$700 per month to work as a housemaid in the Middle Eastern country.
Speaking to NewsDay from her home in Marondera, Martha said she travelled to Oman on 19 January this year together with her friend.
She said an immigration officer at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport warned them against going to Oman but they ignored him. Said, Martha:
<blockquote>
If we had listened to this immigration officer, we could have avoided this trouble. He begged us to cancel the trip but we were determined to go and ignored him.
</blockquote>
Martha said when they arrived in Oman, she and her friend were taken to two different bosses and that was the last time she saw her. She said:
<blockquote>
At the airport in Oman, they confiscated our passports and other documents. I was taken to a town that I cannot recall.
For a week I worked in 48 rooms in different houses. The boss would take me from house to house.
I got sick because of my workload but their medical team said I had fibroids.
</blockquote>
She said her bosses later decided to sell her to another person, this time in Khulabella South. Said, Martha:
<blockquote>
They told me that I was a kardama (slave) and that I was in Oman to work for two solid years before being set free.
I tried to contact a Zimbabwean agent in Oman who had recruited us to tell him that I was sick and that the work conditions were not favourable.
The agent said he had done his part, adding that I should stop bothering him.
Despite working in a big house with about 16 rooms, I slept under the staircase.
There was an empty storeroom but they could not allow me to sleep there.
At times I was told that I was smelly, and they would open all the doors and windows for fresh air. It was painful.
</blockquote>
Martha also claimed that she suffered hunger and starvation in Oman and when she got sick, she was denied medical treatment. She said:
<blockquote>
If you get sick in Oman, they give you Panadol painkillers. They love those pills. Hunger was the order of the day.
They would eat spitting in their food so that you could not even try the leftovers. They would order their supper online and there was nothing for me.
The painful thing is that I would be ordered to cook for cats that strayed into the yard. 
They said Allah loved generous people hence the need to feed the wild cats.
I would ask myself why people preferred to feed cats instead of another human being.
</blockquote>
Martha said she finally secured her freedom after she lied to her bosses that her mother had died. She said:
<blockquote>
After telling them that my mother had died, my bosses demanded a burial order.
My relatives back home then managed to secure a fake burial order which they sent to Oman. 
The bosses demanded that my relatives buy plane tickets, including the return ticket.
After learning of my ordeal, the travelling agent sent a counterfeit return ticket, which convinced the bosses that would return to them.
I was given US$300 as my salary, but my male boss took US$100 from me saying it was surety for my return. They also barred me from packing all my clothes.
</blockquote>
Martha arrived back in the country on 26 March but her bosses in Oman have been demanding that she must return and resume doing her slavery duties.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2022/04/oman-for-money-marondera-victim-recounts-escape/">NewsDay</a></h4>

Zimbabwean Woman Recounts Ordeal In Oman

After reports that top international hotel company Marriot International Hotels and Resorts was recruiting medical personnel from Zimbabwe to migrate to Canada, the government of Zimbabwe has taken the time to warn the general populace against falling for human trafficking ploys disguised as job adverts, The Sunday Mail reports.
The Ministry of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade released a statement that states that Mariot Hotels and Resorts is not recruiting anyone and people who were made to pay the supposed recruiters were scammed:
<blockquote>
Members of the public are warned that these criminal syndicates are demanding four hundred United States Dollars (US$400) as documentation and visa processing fee. Individuals who respond to the advertisements usually receive job offers without any interviews two (2) hours after making payment. This is done through social media platforms including Whatsapp.
The Ministry is, therefore, urging members of the public to be alert to human trafficking activities disguised as job recruitments. Members of the public are encouraged to check with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and our Embassies abroad to verify the authenticity of any such suspicious job offers.</blockquote>
Human traffickers in 2017 also targeted desperate job seekers in Zimbabwe and took people to Kuwait where people were subjected to slavery and prostitution.
More: <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/be-wary-of-fake-job-recruitment-gvt-warns">The Sunday Mail </a>

Beware Of  Human Traffickers Posing As Recruiters - Govt Warns The Public

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said human traffickers are dumping illegal immigrants destined for South Africa in Zimbabwe due to the two countries’ lockdown measures which are impeding travelling.
Immigrants from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Malawi and the Horn of Africa region use Zimbabwe as a transit country to South Africa. IOM said in a statement:
<blockquote>Zimbabwe has been a transit country for migrants from Malawi and the Horn of Africa heading to South Africa to find work and other economic opportunities.
These irregular migrants were apprehended by the Zimbabwean law enforcement authorities and were detained for unlawful entry into the country.</blockquote>
IOM added that some immigrants are dumped in Zimbabwe and are vulnerable to serious human rights violations including sexual abuse, torture, exploitation and neglect.
<blockquote>Some migrants were abandoned in Zimbabwe by smugglers and traffickers and remained in the country illegally, while others decided to return to Malawi after realising the restrictive measures imposed by the governments of both Zimbabwe and South Africa that impede their migratory process to their final destination.
Migrants going through Zimbabwe to South Africa are affected by a range of human smuggling and serious human rights violations including sexual abuse, torture, exploitation, neglect and even death.</blockquote>
Illegal migration into Zimbabwe and South Africa could fuel the spread of coronavirus as the countries battle to contain the virus.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/africa/Traffickers-dump-immigrants-transit-South-Africa-Zimbabwe/4552902-5567770-oj8g4jz/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The East African</a></h4>

Human Traffickers Abandon SA-bound Migrants In Zimbabwe

ZRP yesterday arrested a man who was part of a <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2017/12/20/kuwait-human-trafficker-convicted-faces-50-years-jail/">human trafficking syndicate that was recruiting women who went to Kuwait</a>, The Herald reports. The man, James Maodza had absconded court 6 months ago and he was arrested in Harare CBD.
According to the publication:
<blockquote>Marodza told the court that he was ‘violently ill’ and was admitted in hospital for three days which resulted in him failing to attend court on his judgement day.</blockquote>
He was remanded in custody till 23 January for his judgement.
More:<a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/human-trafficker-nabbed/"> The Herald </a>

Human Trafficking Latest News

Latest Jobs