Rudawiro Katsande-Herald Correspondent
A HARARE man has appeared in court on human trafficking charges after allegedly luring a job seeker to the United Arab Emirates with fake sales vacancies before the victim was forced to open 12 bank accounts for loan scams.
Tinashe Gondo (32) faces charges of contravening the Trafficking in Persons Act and the Labour Act after recruiting the complainant without operating a registered employment agency.
The State alleges that in August this year, Gondo approached the complainant, claiming to be an agent for Dubai-based Buildwell Facilities Company and promising lucrative sales jobs.
In the first week of September, Gondo assisted the complainant in applying for a passport before processing his visa and air tickets on September 5.
The complainant travelled by road to South Africa on September 7 and boarded an Emirates flight from OR Tambo International Airport to Dubai the following day.
Upon arrival at Dubai International Airport, he was taken to Sharjah, where he was told the promised jobs did not exist.
Instead, he was forced to open 12 bank accounts and apply for fraudulent bank loans.
He escaped in October and sought refuge at the Zimbabwean Embassy, which facilitated his repatriation home. Detectives later arrested Gondo in Harare’s central business district following a tip-off.
Opposing bail, prosecutor Mr Lawrence Gangarahwe argued that the gravity of the offence and the prospect of a lengthy prison term could induce Gondo to abscond, noting he has cross-border contacts.
Mr Gangarahwe added that Gondo could interfere with witnesses — particularly the complainant — and remains in contact with suspected accomplices.
The court heard that investigators require five weeks to finalise inquiries involving seven witnesses, amid a rise in similar trafficking cases. Prosecutors also allege that Gondo received recruitment payments via his EcoCash account.
