ZAMBIA has become one of the first countries in the region to enforce law to combat human trafficking in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Sport, Youth and Child Development Minister, Kenneth Chipungu said Government would respond to calls from victims of human trafficking as it did to issues of gender-based violence.
Chipungu was speaking in a speech read for him by his deputy, Christopher Kalila, during the launch of the Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA) 2010 Red Light Campaign against human trafficking at Lusaka’s Chipata community football grounds yesterday.
He said there was urgent need to enforce the legislation by ensuring that it is widely disseminated to the general public.
Chipungu said next year’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa would increase the migration flow which had the potential to result in increased exploitation of women and children for labour, sexual and other violations of human rights.
“As you might be aware, the Zambian Government has demonstrated its commitment towards combating trafficking by putting in place the anti-trafficking legislation and policy. This makes it one of the first countries in the SADC region to enact this law,” he said.
The minister commended WLSA for the red light campaign initiative and for using sports activities as one of the most effective tools in addressing the vice.
And WLSA regional coordinator, Matrine Chuulu, said her organisation aimed at ensuring that the Government protected its people from the vice ahead of the world soccer tournament.
Chuulu said her organisation’s situation analysis had shown an increase in human trafficking in the past two years and attributed the problem to porosity of borders.
She said WLSA would implement community-based campaigns to lobby regional governments in ensuring that the scourge is eradicated by 2015.
Sport in Action president Clement Chileshe called on the private sector to come on board and join the campaign. The launch was coupled with a football tournament in which Chipata Community School scooped the first prize after beating Kamwala by a lone goal.
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