THE Harare Magistrates Court has set free a Chinese national arrested on allegation of human trafficking before spending 18 months in remand prison.
Chen Dehu (39) was arrested alongside two Zimbabweans, Joseph Rabson (44) and Shame Mafido (57), in October 2023 following allegations that they conspired to traffic three young women — two of them minors — to China for forced marriages.
In the case, which drew significant attention, the trio was accused of recruiting the victims under false pretences, promising educational and employment opportunities while allegedly intending to marry them off in China.
Prosecutors claimed that Chen, who had arrived in Zimbabwe on October 3, 2023, specifically for that purpose, worked with Rabson and Mafido — both relatives of the victims — to facilitate the scheme.The group was accused of altering birth certificates and other identity documents to make the underage girls appear older, as China’s legal marriage age is 20.
Authorities arrested the three on October 18, 2023, at a Harare lodge where the purported victims were being housed while travel documents were being processed.
The case was widely publicised, with initial reports framing it as a high-profile human trafficking operation involving exploitation of foreigners.
However, after a prolonged legal process, during which Chen was in custody, the court found insufficient evidence to convict, leading to his acquittal.
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