The bail hearing of a 48-year-old Hwange man accused of trafficking five Zimbabweans to Russia under the guise of lucrative firefighting jobs has been postponed to 14 July after the presiding magistrate failed to attend court because of illness.
Oscar Sifelani Mtshiya was due to appear before Harare magistrate Jesse Kufa on Thursday for the continuation of his bail application.
However, the matter was postponed after the court was informed that Kufa was unwell.
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Mtshiya also told the court that the lawyer who represented him during his initial court appearance had withdrawn from the case.
He is now representing himself.
Acting in person, Mtshiya requested copies of the State papers to prepare his defence and respond to the allegations against him.
He remains in custody pending the bail hearing.
Mtshiya faces five counts of trafficking in persons under Section 3(1)(b)(i) and (ii) of the Trafficking in Persons Act, which criminalises recruiting, transporting or harbouring people while knowing they are likely to be trafficked, as well as conspiracy to commit trafficking.
He also faces a charge under Section 114(1)(a) of the Labour Act for allegedly operating an unregistered employment agency.
According to the prosecution, one of the five alleged victims died after being deployed to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, while the remaining four are stranded in Russia awaiting repatriation.
Mtshiya’s arrest came months after CITE exposed an alleged recruitment network that lured economically vulnerable Zimbabweans and other Africans to Russia with promises of well-paying civilian jobs, only for many to end up fighting in the war against Ukraine.
Court papers allege that between January and June this year, Mtshiya worked with four Russian accomplices to recruit five Zimbabwean men by promising them lucrative jobs as firefighters or employment with the Russian Defence Ministry.
Prosecutors allege that when the recruits arrived in Russia, the promised jobs did not exist. Instead, they allegedly had their passports and travel documents confiscated before being forced to join a private military organisation and deployed to fight on the front lines of the war against Ukraine.
The State alleges Mtshiya was part of a cross-border trafficking syndicate involving Russian nationals identified in court documents as Victor, Denis and two other accomplices who remain at large.
Investigators say the group targeted Zimbabweans seeking employment abroad by promising attractive salaries and favourable working conditions.
According to court papers, Mtshiya coordinated recruitment in Zimbabwe while his Russian counterparts arranged visas and airline tickets for the recruits.
He allegedly distributed travel documents and received money through an EcoCash agent to cover transport costs for the recruits travelling to Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo.
The State further alleges he was paid for each recruit through his EcoCash account.
Detectives from the CID Counter Terrorism Unit allegedly recovered electronic flight tickets and hotel booking confirmations linked to the victims during his arrest in Harare.
Prosecutors say the recruits were denied freedom of movement, subjected to seven days of firearms training and deployed to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, amounting to labour exploitation and forced military service.
The alleged scheme came to light after surviving victims contacted relatives in Zimbabwe, who reported the matter to police.
Authorities say the deceased recruit’s spouse is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the repatriation of the body, while the Department of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are assisting efforts to bring the surviving victims home.
Mtshiya’s arrest follows that of another Zimbabwean, Edward Kachingwe, 36, who also appeared before the Harare Magistrates’ Court on similar charges of trafficking in persons and operating an unregistered employment agency over allegations that he recruited Zimbabweans to fight for the Russian army.
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