The Livingstone Magistrate Court on 5th July, 2024 convicted a 33-year-old Zimbabwean, George Hurasha for trafficking a 20-year-old Zambian of Livingstone for sexual exploitation contrary to section 3(2) of the Anti-Human Trafficking (Amendment) Act, 2022. He was apprehended on 3rd September, 2023 at Victoria Falls Border Control when he attempted to return to Zambia with his Victim who had no travel document. When asked how she had managed to cross into Zimbabwe without a travel document, the visibly traumatised Zambian narrated her ordeal to the Officers. Investigations later revealed that George Hurasha entered Zambia on 2nd September, 2023 as an ordinary visitor and on the same day met and introduced himself to the victim as a Prophet at a church called New Creation Ministries. He began making negative prophesies over the victim’s life and promised to reverse her purported looming misfortunes with prayers during an upcoming conference at his church in Victoria Falls Town in Zimbabwe. The Zambian Victim did not have any travel document but George Hurasha facilitated her entry into Zimbabwe on 2nd September, 2023 were he sexually exploited her, after which she demanded to be returned to Zambia. The Livingstone Magistrate Court committed the convict to the High Court for sentencing.
Further, the Department of Immigration in Lusaka has successfully removed 225 illegal immigrants from the Country. Those removed during the mass removal exercise conducted on 5th and 6th July, 2024 were 110 Burundians, 56 Tanzanians, 50 Ethiopians, four Rwandese, three Ugandans and two Somalis. Most were removed after serving sentences for various immigration offences, while some had yet to appear before court. The exercise was undertaken to decongest the Correctional Facilities where the foreign nationals were detained. The mass removal exercise brought the number of illegal immigrants removed between 5th and 7th July, 2024 to 266.
Furthermore, the Department of Immigration between 5th and 7th July 2024 apprehended 28 persons for various immigration offences countrywide, secured eight convictions and refused six persons entry into Zambia for failing to meet entry requirements.
