allAfrica.com: Mozambique: Maratane Refugees Complain of Ill-Treatment
16 June 2009
Maputo — Some refugees in the Maratane centre, in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula, mostly from the Great Lakes region in central Africa, have accused the commander of the local police post, Muriricha Chicopo, of abuse of power, reports Tuesday's issue of the Maputo daily 'Noticias'.
Among the alleged irregularities, the accusers mention detentions for refusing to give products on credit, and a ban on wearing clothes which might be confused with military uniforms.
One of the refugees, Bishop She-Ndaby, told reporters that such complaints have been reported to the provincial police command and to the managers of the centre. He said that such irregularities have reached "intolerable" proportions, threatening that this situation may lead to demonstrations, with serious consequences.
"Nobody can bear any longer the humiliation to which he is submitting us", said She-Ndaby.
He added that one of the refugees, only identified as Alijo, was arrested recently for playing dice, an activity that the refugees regard as simple entertainment, after work in the fields, and not a crime.
Another refugee, whose identity was not revealed, is said to have been arrested for wearing clothes similar to military uniform, which he claimed to have purchased among bundles of second hand clothes.
She-Ndaby said that the matter has been reported to the provincial police command, "but no action was taken to reverse the situation'.
Nampula Police spokesperson Oliveira Maneque expressed doubt about the refugees' allegations.
For his part, the centre's interim manager Antonio Mussupai said that he has never received any reports on such irregularities. "I have never been informed about this matter, but now I promise I will take steps to find out the truth".
According to Mussupai, the main problem with some of the asylum seekers has to do with attempts to disobey the legally established order.
"I will not comment on the issue of credit, because I do not know in what circumstances it happened, but as for clothes with military characteristics, the regulations prohibit it, because there (in the refugee camp) you can't circulate things that make people think about war. And as for the dice game, it is an illicit activity and measures must be taken against it", said Mussupai.
On his recent visit to the centre, Nampula provincial governor Felismino Tocoli advised the about 4,000 refugees in the centre to respect the local authorities and the laws of Mozambique.
allAfrica.com: Mozambique: Law On Human Trafficking Still Not Implemented
28 May 2009
Maputo — The law on human trafficking in Mozambique, particularly concerning women and children, approved by the country's parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, in April 2008, remains a dead letter, because of the lack of regulations for its implementation.
Mozambique was the first member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to approve such a law, and was commended as an example to be followed by others, but it still lacks the detailed regulations required to put the principles of the law into practice.
The same fate has overtaken many other laws passed by the Assembly, which wait months or years for a set of regulations to make them effective.
The Minister for Women's Affairs and Social Welfare, Virgília Matabele, told AIM that the government has been working on regulations to implement this law, and an inter-sector commission has been set up to that end. She said that the delay is due to the complexity of the issue.
"I think that we are not very far behind", said Matabele. "We are working. These are very complex issues, and we must all discuss how to implement them".
Before the adoption of this law, human trafficking could only be dealt with by using the articles in the penal code on crimes such as kidnapping. But now there is a specific crime on trafficking in human beings which covers the recruitment, transport, or accommodation of a person by any means, including under the pretext of employment, but where the end purpose is prostitution, pornography, sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery or debt servitude.
One of the innovations of the law is the fact that it declares human trafficking as a "public crime", which means that prosecuting cases does not depend on any complaint or denunciation on the part of persons trafficked.
The law states that goods or property used in the crime of human trafficking or resulting from it are to revert to the state and are to be used in programmes to prevent trafficking and to support the victims. People found guilty of this crime should be sentenced to between eight and 12 years imprisonment.
The Southern African Network Against the Trafficking and Abuse of Children (SANTAC) argues that regulating this law must take place immediately, because the practice is tending to take root in Mozambique, a situation that may worsen with the forthcoming World Cup in South Africa in 2010. There are fears that the massive influx of tourists expected for the World Cup, will provide fresh opportunities for the sexual exploitation of women and children.
SANTAC executive secretary Margarida Guitunga thinks that Mozambique must have the capacity to implement the Law on Human Trafficking, which implies making available human and financial resources, and producing the necessary regulations.
Posts
