By CHRISTINE MWAABA –
SLAVERY may be said to be a practice of bygone centuries, but beyond the reach of the long arm of the law, away from praying eyes of onlookers, the vice is clandestinely being  perpetrated upon the unsuspecting, in notoriously diverse forms like human trafficking.
The rate at which mankind is refusing to let go of this new version of slavery through human trading, is worrisome and in is direct conflict with modernity.
An enormous number of people each year fall prey to human traffickers, a practice that has become one of the most lucrative illegal activities of this era.
Zambia has not been left out in this dilemma. The country continues to record cases of men and women, including children, who end up being victims of untold hardship after being misled into thinking that they would have a better life.
In some instances, countless cases of trafficked adults and children have gone unassisted or receive far too little help to enable them escape the vicious cycle of exploitation.
Recently, 15 people suspected to be Ethiopian nationals, died in a containerised truck on the Pedicle Road in an apparent case of human smuggling scheme.
The Truck was carrying over 50 suspected Ethiopians who were thought to have been smuggled from Tanzania.
The final destination of these victims was unclear.
Former Immigration Department Public Relations Officer Mulako Mbangweta said most Zambian borders are porous and are used by undesirable elements for illegal entry into the country.
Ms Mbangweta admitted that it has been difficult to deal with cases of human smuggling and trafficking in Zambia because most of the victims are cautious and often claim that they are relatives of alleged perpetrators.
“It has been difficult for us to investigate cases because the victims tend to defend the culprits by saying they are related,” she said.
She explained that some have had their entry into the country illegally facilitated through illegal means which, in this case, is human smuggling.
Whereas, human trafficker victims are often taken by force, threats, coercion or deception against the victim’s will, cases of smuggled migrants involve parties agreeing to being moved illegally.
Human trafficking victims either do not agree to be moved or if they do, it is either because they have been deceived into agreeing or by use of false promises.
International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Regional Director for Southern Africa Bernado Mariano said a number of people may perhaps be lured into various countries, including Zambia, in the  hope of finding a better life,  only to find themselves in the hands of unscrupulous human traffickers.
Mr Mariano said human traffickers entice victims with false promises after which the victims are transported across borders to be economically exploited and abused.
“Victims, who often live a life in poverty, are lured by traffickers with empty promises of employment, or deceived on the real nature of the activity they will engage in,” he said.
In some instances, traffickers may exert pressure on their victims by using isolation, violence and intimidation as a means to silence them.
Unfortunately, some victims are not even aware that they are thevictims of this serious crime.
All these factors may make the identification of trafficked persons and the prosecution of perpetrators even harder.
Zambia’s Human Rights Commission (HRC) Chairperson Pixie Yangailo said the country has more of domestic trafficking than trans-national trafficking.
“Incidents of internal trafficking are higher than that of trans-national trafficking, where children are trafficked for forced labour to perform manual tasks.
“Girls and young women are trafficked internally for forced labour and prostitution at local bars and rest houses,” she said.
She said some of the girls are as young as 13 years old.
They are promised jobs as domestic helpers or sales people before being forced into brothels or bars where they become victims of abuse.
A good number of such girls come from poor families who expect them to help bring in some extra income.
“What is worse is that the recruiters bribe the parents so that they can get the children,” she said.
Immigration Department Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka said the vast borders Zambia shares with its neighbouring countries create fertile ground for traffickers.
In addition to that, the lack of restrictive legislation encourages traffickers to ply their trade without fear of punishment.
Gaps in the anti-trafficking law have allowed traffickers to either escape prosecution or only be convicted for minor offences like rape, abduction or fraud.
“Although the anti-trafficking act adopted by Zambia in 2008 criminalises some forms of human trafficking, it requires other forms of coercion for one to be considered a human trafficking victim,” he said.
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya says the failure by member states, including Zambia, to implement laws to combat human trafficking, coupled with a lack of statistics, worsens the problem.
He said the invisibility of human trafficking makes it difficult to fight. “Accurate information on the extent of the trade remains elusive,” he said.
It is essential to eliminate human trafficking from the supply chains which will in turn,curb the crime from the source.
The link between demand and supply needs to be better understood by states to end human trafficking.
The United Nation (UN) protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons defines trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons by improper means.
Zambia prohibits human trafficking through a 2005 amendment to its Penal Code which prescribes penalties of 20 years  life imprisonment which is commensurate with sentences prescribed for other severe crimes.
It is with this background that Government has been compelled to commit to fighting human trafficking to protect lives of many innocent people.
Recently, Vice-President Inonge Wina, assured Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states that Zambia is committed to fighting human trafficking and protecting the rights of children who are mostly the victims.
She says it is undoubtedly that children have continued experiencing vices that violate their rights.
The violations can even be perpetrated locally by relatives who may travel to rural areas to take a child along with them to the urban areas, promising that the child would be helped to access better
education on condition that the child agrees to play the role of house helper.
“We have read media reports of some human traffickers who come in the name of universities or colleges abroad and once the youths apply and are accepted in these ‘higher learning institutions’, they find themselves in a foreign country where, instead of being in school, they find themselves assigned to jobs that they never imagined,” she said.
She said the traffickers have total control of the lives of the young people and they end up having nowhere to run to.
Recently, (SADC) member states delegates met to find solutions of how best human trafficking can be stopped.
The regional meeting attracted participants from Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
It is after this meeting that governments were also urged to act urgently to provide resources to address the porous borders that human traffickers take advantage of.
The governments were urged to ensure that a comprehensive and well-resourced effort is put in place with particular focus on addressing the protection needs of those that are exposed to human trafficking.
The delegates pledged to go a step further in reviewing good practices in the region and propose alternatives to stop human trafficking.
It is with this in mind that the Zambian Government is making stridesto include the ratification and domestication of the Palermo Protocol, which will see Zambia enact the Anti- Human Trafficking Act Number 11,of 2008.
Minister of Home Affairs Davies Mwila says the Government will exchange ideas with other countries on how best the region can collaborate in mitigating human trafficking with particular focus on protecting children.
Mr Mwila said the country had pledged to enhance its public awareness in order for all stakeholders to fight the scourge.
“Zambia is one of the most vulnerable countries to human trafficking and smuggling but then, Government was more alert to puting an end to this vice,” he said.
In addition, comprehensive solutions will be put in place to scale up the diverse nature of the problem.
Virtually every country in the world is affected by this crime, hence the need for all countries to protect and assist victims of trafficking and smuggled migrants.
Human freedom, dignity and pride are important and therefore, it is the responsibility of every human being to protect the rights of fellow human beings for the betterment of the future world.