PROSECUTION
The government demonstrated negligible anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts. In June 2014, the government passed its “Trafficking in Persons Act.” Contrary to international law, which defines trafficking in persons as a crime of exploitation, the 2014 “Trafficking in Persons Act” defines trafficking in persons as essentially a crime of transportation.Therefore, the 2014 act fails to capture the key element of the international definition of trafficking in persons—the purpose of exploitation—generally defined as forced prostitution or other forms of forced labor. The 2014 act criminalizes the involuntarily transport of a person into, outside or within Zimbabwe—or voluntary transport for an unlawful purpose. The inaccurate definitions leave Zimbabwe without comprehensive prohibitions of trafficking crimes. Zimbabwe’s Labor Relations Amendment Act prohibits forced labor and prescribes punishments of up to two years’ imprisonment; these penalties are not sufficiently stringent.The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act prohibits procuring a person for unlawful sexual conduct, inside or outside of Zimbabwe, but prescribes less than stringent penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment.The act also prohibits coercing or inducing anyone to engage in unlawful sexual conduct with another person by threat or intimidation, prescribing sufficiently stringent penalties of one to five years’ imprisonment. Pledging a female for forced marriage or to compensate for the death of a relative or any debt or obligation is punishable under the act, with penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment. None of these penalties are commensurate with penalties prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape.
The government did not vigorously investigate, prosecute, or convict trafficking offenses. The Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) has responsibility for investigating cases involving women and children and referring victims to support

services; however, the VFU did not provide information on the number of trafficking investigations it conducted during the year. The government reported its acquittal in April 2014 of a woman charged with the fraudulent recruitment of 22 Zimbabwean women for employment as housemaids in Saudi Arabia.
Corruption in law enforcement and the judiciary remained a serious concern that impaired the effectiveness of anti-trafficking efforts. Victims reportedly refused to report or pursue cases of trafficking due to fear their traffickers could bribe police or judges. Anecdotal evidence indicated a limited government involvement in, and tolerance of, trafficking on a local level and at border crossings. The government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government officials complicit in human trafficking offenses. In August 2014, in partnership with an international organization, the government provided anti-trafficking training for criminal justice practitioners. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security had a taskforce charged with investigating Chinese construction companies suspected of abusive employment practices—possibly including forced labor—and ensuring overall compliance with Zimbabwean labor law; however, it was unknown whether they took concrete action during the year.

PROTECTION
The Zimbabwean government made inadequate efforts to protect trafficking victims, instead relying on NGOs and an international organization to identify and assist victims. The government did not report the total number of trafficking victims it identified or assisted during the reporting period. Law enforcement authorities did not employ procedures—such as formal written guidelines—to proactively identify victims or refer them to protection services. While the newly enacted “Trafficking in Persons Act” required the government to establish centers in each of Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces, providing counseling, rehabilitation, and reintegration services for “trafficking victims,” it remained unclear if child and adult victims of forced labor and sex trafficking would benefit from protections under the law, given its inaccurate definition of trafficking crimes; requiring executive action, these centers remained unestablished at the end of the reporting period. Five existing government-run shelters offered long-term accommodation to vulnerable and orphaned children, including an unknown number of potential child trafficking victims. Children had access to health services, counseling, and some educational services at these shelters. The government may have detained and deported potential trafficking victims due to a lack of proactive victim identification procedures. The government did not provide foreign trafficking victims with temporary or permanent resident status or any other legal alternatives to their removal to countries where they might face retribution or hardship.

PREVENTION
The government made minimal efforts to prevent trafficking. In January 2015, the government established an inter-ministerial anti-trafficking committee, under the leadership of the Ministry of Home Affairs; however, the committee remained without a designated chair and it was unclear whether the committee met or initiated anti-trafficking activities during the reporting period. While the government established a position in the president’s office to focus on trafficking issues during the previous reporting period, it did not report on efforts made by this entity in 2014. In November 2014, officials participated in a national action planning workshop; however, the government remained without

a national action plan to address trafficking in persons. In August 2014, at the Harare Agricultural Show, the government funded an anti-trafficking information booth, targeting potential trafficking victims and distributed anti-trafficking materials.The government did not provide anti-trafficking training or guidance to its diplomatic personnel. It did not make efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts or forced labor.

SPECIAL  CASE: SOMALIA        
Somalia remains a Special Case for the thirteenth consecutive year. During the reporting period, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) maintained control primarily of Mogadishu, but extended some influence outside the capital city through the federal state-formation process. The self-declared independent Republic of Somaliland and semi-autonomous Federal State of Puntland retained control of security and law enforcement in their respective regions. The Interim Juba Administration and the Interim South West Administration partially controlled their jurisdictions.The FGS focused on capacity-building and securing Mogadishu and government facilities from attacks by the terrorist organization al-Shabaab, which retained control of some towns and rural areas in southern and central Somalia.The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) conducted military operations in 2014 to recover additional al-Shabaab-controlled territory, pushing terrorist elements away from their last port and into a more compressed area centered on the Juba Valley. Military courts often adjudicated serious cases, including those related to terrorism, and tried many civilian cases. Due to capacity constraints, Somali authorities struggled to address human trafficking, thereby yielding minimal results in prosecution, protection, and prevention efforts in all regions. In addition, officials across Somalia lacked an understanding of trafficking crimes, which they often conflated with smuggling.