Source: ‘Zim students in Cyprus turn to prostitution’ – DailyNews Live
Farayi Machamire 29 June 2017
HARARE – Desperate Zimbabwean students studying in Cyprus are engaged in
dangerous activities which include drug trafficking, prostitution and
gambling as they bid to fund their university education, Parliament
revealed yesterday.
In its startling remarks, Parliament’s Foreign Affairs committee warned
that there was need for intervention as some students had been jailed for
various offences committed out of their desperate situation.
“Three Zimbabwe students were recently arrested, one has been given
seven years in prison over drug trafficking.
“We have about 4 800 Zimbabwean students who are in Cyprus, some went
there through bogus agencies and were promised non-existent scholarships.
“Some went there with false information and because of that, they got
there and started involving themselves with drugs, in prostitution, others
are marrying other nationalities for convenience. Some have been arrested
for drug trafficking,” chairperson of Foreign Affairs committee, Kindness
Paradza told the Daily News yesterday.
“So we have approached the (Zimbabwean) ministry (of Foreign Affairs) to
send an official delegation there through Turkey because Cyprus is under
Turkey,” he added.
A student in Cyprus who recently arrived home for vacation told the Daily
News how the situation was dire for many Zimbabweans in Cyprus as they
were struggling to fund their studies.
“The truth is that when you are a foreigner in Cyprus, you can’t get a
job. Cyprus actually has a high unemployment rate, so it is not possible
for them to employ foreigners,” said the student who requested anonymity.
“Zimbabwean girls are dating any nationality they can for money. Some are
involved in unprotected sexual activities with many men for money,” the
student said, adding women of all ages were affected and they were working
in brothels, as strippers, in lap dancing clubs, and on sex phone lines.
COMMENTS
The situation in Cyprus is not happening in vacuum. Children wind up there out the desperate situation in Zimbabwe. Lack of jobs, poor opportunities to advance education in the country, parents lacking funding to support the students and student desire to achieve. As adults and as government, Zimbabwe needs to decide on helping these and other children from Zimbabwe all over the world. This is a waste of manpower. We need these people in Zimbabwe for the future of the country and they are being wasted elsewhere. We won independence to help people of Zimbabwe and in Zimbabwe. Independence should be something we cherish and admire. we need to give everyone a chance by opening all avenues for development.