Human Trafficking “a deep concern” for the Church in Africa: Talitha Kum Zimbabwe

Johannesburg, 17 August, 2025 / 9:35 PM

The challenge of human trafficking violates human dignity and is a major hindrance to the Church’s mission of defending the vulnerable, the National Coordinator of Talitha Kum Network in Zimbabwe has said.

In an interview with ACI Africa on Wednesday, August 13 following her presentation at the August 10–14 Group of 20 (G20) Interfaith Forum in South Africa, Sr. Diana Kanyere explored the impact of human trafficking on the Church in Africa, saying the vice “aches at the heart of the Church.”

“Human trafficking for the church in Africa is a deep concern because it strikes at the core of the Church's mission to uphold human dignity, also to protect the vulnerable and pursue justice,” said Sr. Kanyere, who was part of a delegation of the women Religious from African countries during the five-day interfaith gathering.

In her address at the event that was organized ahead of the G20 Summit scheduled for November 22–23, the member of the religious institute of the  Little Children of Our Blessed Lady (LCBL), added, “Trafficking strips victims of dignity, reduces them to commodities and contradicts the gospel message of love that we have to respect the poor.”

“Human trafficking is an evil scourge that breaks the heart because it affects our brothers and sisters’ dignity. It strips them of their dignity,” she emphasized, referring to the message of the late Pope Francis for the 10th World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking.

The Zimbabwean-born official of the Talitha Kum Network, which supports victims of trafficking as well as refugees and migrants in the Southern African nation, noted that the human trafficking challenge is of great concern to the Church in Africa because it affects the most vulnerable, including women, children, refugees, the poor, and the unemployed.

“These are the groups the Church is called to defend,” she said, and went on to highlight some of the forms of exploitation they face, including: “forced labour, sexual slavery, organ harvesting, or child soldiering.”

Sr. Kanyere, who was a panelist during a session on human trafficking on August 13, the fourth day of the IF20 Forum, emphasized that the Church in Africa “must be a voice addressing not only spiritual needs but also systemic injustice.”

Among her recommendations as church leader to the G20 summit is the need to put in place a mechanism for “cross border intelligence sharing, joint investigations, and harmonized laws to close loopholes exploited by traffickers.” 

“We would also ask as a Church and support the G20 commitments to address poverty, unemployment, climate change, inequality, and conflicts. These are factors that affect Africans vulnerable to trafficking,” she said.

The Catholic nun called for additional support towards the rehabilitation and reintegration of the victims of human trafficking, saying, “As a Church, we do a lot of work but we are not supported. When victims return to us, they are often left without resources.”

“The Church has a duty to stand against all these injustices and to be a strong voice for the family, the community, and the most vulnerable in our midst,” said Sr. Kanyere from Zimbabwe, who was part of a delegation of women Religious from African countries at the IF20, including Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.

She described her experience at the forum bringing together faith-based leaders, civil society groups, multilateral organizations, government representatives, and scholars to seek collaborative solutions to critical global challenges as “very enriching and inspiring.”

“It's my first time attending the G20 Interfaith Forum. It has been a worthwhile time. I have seen the importance of Ubuntu, the power of getting together from different nationalities and sharing the same goal,” said Sr. Kanyere during the August 13 interview with ACI Africa.