HARARE – A former police officer, Forward Mashonganyika, and his accomplice, Tendai Muswe, were sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday by the Harare Magistrates’ Court for trafficking three women to Oman.
According to a statement released by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), between February and August 2022, Mashonganyika and Muswe, along with an Oman-based accomplice, Mohammed Ali Al Shihhi, lured the women to Oman via WhatsApp under the false pretense of securing them jobs in Dubai.
The NPA statement details how the victims were added to a WhatsApp group where the accused misrepresented themselves as employment agents.
Upon arrival in Oman, the women’s passports were confiscated, and they were forced into domestic servitude and sexual exploitation. The statement alleges the women were subjected to poor living conditions, including being fed leftovers and denied the ability to leave the house.
The nightmarish ordeal came to an end when the women managed to contact their families in Zimbabwe, who then reported the situation to the police.
Investigations revealed that Mashonganyika and Muswe received minimal sums – between USD$74 and USD$500 – for their role in trafficking the women.
Following intervention by the Zimbabwean government, the victims were repatriated back to the country in August 2022.
Mashonganyika and Muswe were ultimately sentenced to 20 years imprisonment each.
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