Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MBABANE314
2009-11-16 13:04:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Mbabane
Cable title:  

SWAZILAND PASSES COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING LAW

Tags:  KTIP PGOV PHUM WZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9117
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHMB #0314 3201304
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161304Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY MBABANE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3783
INFO RUCNSAD/SUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS MBABANE 000314 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/S FOR MAYA HARRIS, G/TIP MARK TAYLOR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIP PGOV PHUM WZ
SUBJECT: SWAZILAND PASSES COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING LAW

REF: A) Mbabane 000197 B) Mbabane 000248

UNCLAS MBABANE 000314

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/S FOR MAYA HARRIS, G/TIP MARK TAYLOR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIP PGOV PHUM WZ
SUBJECT: SWAZILAND PASSES COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING LAW

REF: A) Mbabane 000197 B) Mbabane 000248


1. SUMMARY: Capping months of meetings and focus on trafficking in
persons, King Mswati III has assented to the 2009 People Trafficking
and People Smuggling Prohibition Act, passed by the Senate and House
in October. The law is expected to be published in the government
gazette within the next few weeks, after which it will enter into
effect. The Anti-Human Trafficking law, prompted by the threat of
U.S. sanctions from Swaziland's initial June 2009 Tier 3
trafficking-in-persons (TIP) ranking, provides for prosecution of
perpetrators and protections for victims. The new legislation
compliments Swaziland's "Red Light 2010 Campaign" to combat human
trafficking, which focuses on education and awareness of the problem
of human trafficking, and is a vehicle for publicizing the new law.
END SUMMARY


2. Capping months of meetings and focus on trafficking in persons,
in early November King Mswati III assented to the 2009 People
Trafficking and People Smuggling Prohibition Act, passed by the
Senate and House in October. The king's assent was first reported
by a government-owned newspaper on November 14, however government
officials were unable to specify to the Embassy exactly when the
king signed the law. The law is expected to be published in the
government gazette within the next few weeks, after which it will
enter into effect. The Anti-Human Trafficking law was prompted by
the threat of U.S. sanctions from Swaziland's initial June 2009 Tier
3 trafficking-in-persons (TIP) ranking.


3. The new law provides for prosecution of perpetrators of human
trafficking, and protections for victims, including immunity from
criminal prosecution in respect to unlawful entry into the country.
The legislation considers consent and past sexual behavior of the
trafficked persons to be immaterial, and incorporates provisions
against money laundering as a way to get at people responsible for
human trafficking.


3. The new legislation compliments Swaziland's "Red Light 2010
Campaign" to combat human trafficking. When publicly announcing the
campaign in early September, Prime Minister Dlamini highlighted both
the current problem of human trafficking in the region, as well as
the possible challenges that the 2010 World Cup in South Africa may
pose to southern Africa. The campaign focuses on education and
awareness of the problem of human trafficking. According to members
of the Anti-trafficking Taskforce, Swaziland will soon unveil a
hotline for victims of trafficking, managed out of the police's
domestic violence unit.


4. Regarding the role U.S. anti-trafficking initiatives have played
in Swaziland's new focus on the issue, Prime Minister Dlamini stated
in his public remarks that "so deep-rooted and devious is the human
trafficking market that it has led fierce opponents of trafficking,
such as the United States Government, to use their own muscle to
secure the support of other countries. For it is only through
collaboration that this evil can be defeated."

IRVING