The Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) says it is investigating the involvement of some law enforcement agents and other public officers in the recent spate of human trafficking cases in the country.
MHRC’s action follows reports of reluctance by the police and other influential government officials to act and bring to book alleged human trafficking perpetrators.
In the past few weeks, the media have exposed a number of human trafficking cases and named some of the individuals involved.
But the police have so far given a lacklustre response to the matter, giving way to suspicions that they are involved.
And in one of the cases, Malawi News reported of a human trafficking victim who has since returned from Kuwait where she was trafficked to.
The victim said she had gone out of the country with the aid of a police clearance that was signed by a senior official in the police service.
Chairperson for MHRC, Justin Dzonzi, said much as the commission has on-going investigations on other human rights violation issues, it has also taken keen interest on the human trafficking situation following information the body received about involvement of some law enforcement agents.
“We already have information that some police officers and very influential people are involved. We are even aware that some of these agents are working for these people,” he said.
Recently, the country has been hit with reports of Malawian women being trafficked to the Middle East, Kuwait in particular, where they are subjected to inhuman treatment, against the promises they are given of better life.
As of now, up to 13 Malawian women are waiting to be sent back home after they were rescued from their ‘masters’ in Kuwait.
Programmes Officer for Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) Michael Kaiyatsa said the issue of police involvement should be properly investigated.
He said the Trafficking in Persons Act requires government to establish a national coordinating committee chaired by the Ministry of Home Affairs and comprising secretaries for Gender and Justice, police, Inspector General, Commissioner for Immigration and director of Human Rights Commission among others.
“The challenge we have is that we are content with passing laws, but when it comes to implementation, we always look for excuses. This needs to change,” Kaiyatsa said.
Inspector General of Police Lexten Kachama refused to make any comment on Thursday insisting that it was the duty of public relations officers to do so.
Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Jappie Mhango, earlier said anyone involved in human trafficking deserves to face the law.
“We now have a law in place and anyone involved in human trafficking deals will pay dearly as they will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly,” he said.
Malawi has in place the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Act, 2015 which President Peter Mutharika assented to it on April 10, 2015, and published in the gazette on November 1, 2015.
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