BROTHELS CHOKE ZAMBIA

By Lumbiwe Mwanza

IT IS disappointing that law enforcement agencies have continued to focus on politically-inclined cases which are highlighted in the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) report without much focus on human interest cases such as human trafficking and the increase in the number of spas operating as brothels, Green Party leader Peter Sinkamba has charged.

According to 2021-2022 FIC report, there has been an increase in the number of spas operated by foreign nationals set up within residential areas. Intelligence gathered revealed that some of these spas operate as brothels.

The FIC report also highlighted that human trafficking offences perpetrated by foreigners and Zambian nationals have been on the increase. During the period under review, the FIC noted a number of incidents of human trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation and other crimes involving Asian and East African nationals.

Human trafficking incidents are said to be prevalent along the line of rail involving mostly, East African nationals who are usually on transit to South Africa while the Asian nationals were used as sex workers in casinos around the country.

Mr. Sinkamba said that law enforcement agencies should not just focus on making politically-inclined arrests as certain trends of criminality will continue growing and having negative impact in the country.

He said that selective type of justice or arrests based on politically- inclined cases should not be the basis for their action and that there was a need for the law enforcement agencies to change this narrative.

“The law enforcement agencies in the country should be seen to take action against all reports coming from the FIC or any watchdog institution. They should not be seen only to pursue more of politically-inclined cases as this leads to compromised justice and have certain criminality trend growing.

“We little or nothing been done on issues of human interest cases such as human trafficking and emerging brothels in residential areas. Zambia should be concerned on such reports that there is an increasing mushrooming of spas operating as brothels being operated by foreign nationals and also issues of human trafficking call for measures to address challenges arising from having porous border systems,” Mr. Sinkamba said.

He said that issues of emerging brothels and human trafficking had the potential to corrupt morals among the young people if left unchecked.