The government of Zimbabwe approved and adopted a national action plan to combat trafficking and conducted awareness-raising activities throughout the country. Draft amendments to the 2014 Trafficking in Persons Act to bring the law in line with international standards were, however, not done and so remained pending. (United States of America Department of State, 2020)

• Inconsistent with international law, the 2014 Trafficking in Persons Act defined trafficking in persons as a movement-based crime and did not adequately define “exploitation.” The 2014 act criminalized the involuntary transport of a person and the voluntary transport for an unlawful purpose, into, outside, or within Zimbabwe. The law prescribed penalties of 10 years to life imprisonment, which were sufficiently stringent and, with respect to sex trafficking crimes, was commensurate with penalties for other serious crimes, such as rape. (United States of America Department of State, 2020)
• Zimbabwe’s labour Relations Amendment Act criminalized forced labour and prescribed penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment, which were not sufficiently stringent. (Government of Zimbabwe, 2002)
• The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act criminalized procuring a person for unlawful sexual conduct, inside or outside of Zimbabwe and prescribed penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment; these penalties were not sufficiently stringent when applied to cases of sex trafficking. (Government of Zimbabwe, 2005)