Chronicle Reporters
TWO Bulawayo families have approached the media fearing that their daughters, together with four other young women, may have fallen victim to a suspected human trafficking ring after allegedly being taken from Bulawayo to Harare and later to South Africa.
The families allege that the six women were initially moved to Harare, where the two daughters were allegedly being groomed for prostitution before they were reportedly trafficked to South Africa.
The families say they have since lost contact with the women, whose mobile phones are no longer reachable, raising fears about their safety and whereabouts.
The two missing women are Sinqobile Dube and Busi Mthethwa, who are friends from Nkulumane suburb in Bulawayo. The other four women have been identified as Roseline Maseko, Chipo Mhofu, Beverly Moyo and Thembinkosi Bhebe.
The families allege that they tried to report their concerns to the police but were unsuccessful, claiming they were told they had no evidence to substantiate their suspicions.
They also expressed concern over what they described as the attitude they encountered when seeking assistance, saying it left them feeling that their allegations were not being taken seriously.
The families suspect that people with influential connections could be behind the alleged operation, although they have not provided independently verified evidence establishing who is responsible or confirming that a trafficking network exists.
The families have now turned to the media in the hope of drawing attention to the women’s disappearance and establishing their whereabouts.
Human trafficking involves the exploitation of people through means such as coercion, deception or abuse of vulnerability. However, the circumstances surrounding the six women’s disappearance, including their movements between Zimbabwe and South Africa, have not yet been independently established.
The families are appealing for assistance from anyone who may have information about the women’s whereabouts.
Efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged disappearances, including obtaining comment from the police, are necessary before the allegations can be conclusively established.
