Alick Sulumbu jailed for attempting to traffic two men from Malawi to Tanzania

A 30 years old man who attempted to traffic two young men to Tanzania  will spend a staggering  8 years behind bars, following  Chitipa Magistrate Court   sentencing.

Alick Silumbu was contracted by a rich Tanzanian business man to look for two strong young men from Malawi to work in his estates.

Police Prosecutor, Sub Inspector Fancy Sichali told the court that the accused  coaxed Vincent Sichinga, 25 and Fackson Mtambo, 24, that he had found them job in Tanzania, where they they were going to be paid 5,000 Tanzanian Shillings per moon, equivalent to 17,000 Malawi Kwacha.

Sichali said Silumbu was arrested on August 17, 2017, at Ilomba Border Post with neighbouring Tanzania, as he was taking the two young men across.

The two young men hanged  Silumbu when they  ignorantly revealed he had   recruited them  to work in  Tanzania when immigration officials wanted to know their  destination.

“The two young men were saved from being trafficked to Tanzania,  following a vigorous search by alert immigration officials at Ilomba Border Post, who intercepted  a bus in which the accused boarded them.

Silumbu pleaded guilty to the offence, which is contrary to Section14 of Trafficking in Persons Act (TIPA) which  dangles  a full penalty of 14 years jail term, with no option of fine.

Sichali said cases of human trafficking have  become rampant in the border district and it is a big challenge to arrest the elusive culprits who  have complicated networks..

The Prosecutor observed that people, especially young men and women,  who are promised good things, suffer highest degree of oppression by their crooked masters, when they are trafficked to Tanzania..

“When Malawians are trafficked to Tanzania, on promise of good salary, delicious food and rosy life in general, end up being  slaves and those who find their way back to Malawi, are so lucky, Most of them never come back” Charged Sichali, asking for harsh penalty on Silumbu, in the process.

First Grade Magistrate Julious Kalambo sided with prosecution that in most times, people who are trafficked to Tanzania and beyond, are not taken to destinations for intended purposes .

Kalambo  also emphasized that the vice has become a big threat to the nation due to its complexity and  craftiness employed by the culprits.

Said Kalambo, “It is the responsibility of the court to completely stamp out  human trafficking crimes from the  society by severely punishing those who commit such crimes.”

Being the first offender, Kalambo only sentenced him to 8 years  imprisonment with hard labour, (IHL) with complete disregard to the accused’s plea for mercy in his mitigation..

The accused and the two victims hail from Zambwe Village, in the area of Chief Mwaulambia, in Chitipa District.

Human Trafficking is rampant in areas a long Songwe River, especially  among boys and girls who are promised to work in shops, hotels and restaurants in Tanzania.

Some of human trafficking crimes have the  blessings of parents who are cheated by  middle men to the extent that their children will rake them resource to improve their household economy, just like is done with   child  marriage practices.

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