ZIMBABWE TIP UPDATE

UNCLAS HARARE 000443 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, PRM, IWI, AF/RSA, USAID AF/S FOR BNEULING NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE, D. TEITELBAUM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG ASEC KFRD PREF EAID ZI TIP SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE TIP UPDATE REF: A. YOUSEY-MENENDEZ E-MAIL MARCH 2005 ¶B. HARARE 339 ¶C. 04 STATE 273089 (U) As requested, this is an update to post,s submission for the annual anti-trafficking in persons report. Question numbers are keyed to the original numbers in ref A. Question 1B: The lead Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer responsible for trafficking in persons told post he does not currently receive all reports of anti-migrant smuggling efforts. He noted that these efforts are largely de-centralized and handled by local officials. Each migrant present illegally and each suspected migrant smuggler or trafficker is dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the local law enforcement and prosecutors. 2C: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told post that they have suggested to the ZRP that it draft a consular advisory to send to Zimbabwean embassies abroad. The MFA said it was within the ZRP,s purview to draft such notices. ZRP officials with whom we spoke said they are considering the request but have not yet taken action. 3G: The Attorney General,s office has made no additional progress at this time in developing an education program for prosecutors and judges. We will continue to monitor the program,s development. 2I: The ZRP lead TIP officer said that there have been no additional meetings on the regional anti-TIP action plan in the past month. However, he noted that other countries in the region had agreed that Zimbabwe should take a leadership role on this issue and to that end the ZRP plans to host the next regional meeting sometime shortly after the country,s March 31 parliamentary elections. Dell