ZBC managers demand sex from female workers

Published: October 8, 2009

HARARE(ZimEye)Female workers at the troubled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation have told harrowing stories of abuse, threats of being fired and general harassment from managers demanding sex from them.

Sources at ZBC confirmed that a board of enquiry headed by human resources general manager Bernania Shumba had been set up to investigate the charges. However, the victims dismissed the gesture saying there should be an independent enquiry as previous investigations by Shumba have failed to yield any meaningful results. Many of the alleged perpetrators of the sexual offences still occupy top posts at the state broadcaster.

Among the executives who are going to be questioned is news and current affairs general manager, Tarzan Mandizvidza, a favourite of President Robert Mugabe and his press secretary George Charamba, who is said to have sent offensive text messages to an intern, and ‘reporters’ manager’ O’brian Rwafa who is said to have made a female staffer pregnant.

On Wednesday, ZBC sources said the corporation, which had initially removed all female interns from service in August also got rid of the males as it became clear that a sexual harassment probe was under way.

At least one of the women victims said she had contemplated suicide when her professional life crumbled in the face of persistent attacks after she spurned the advances of a senior executive. Others said they would leave the corporation if they had a choice.

One of the victims (former TV reporter Mandi Dangarembwa[not real name], daughter of a known Zanu PF politburo member, who asks not to be named in print) said her life at ZBC turned into a nightmare this year after she refused to sleep with her boss, whose name is known to this publication (O’brian Rwafa, manager, reporters).

“He used to harass me continuously, demanding sex. I complained and I was called for an interview at the human resources department but they did nothing about it. I have complained many times but they haven’t taken any action,” she said.

After her complaints the woman was abruptly taken off the air. She was transferred from a section where she felt more competent to another where she spends much of her time ‘doing nothing’ because the ZBC says it has no resources for that particular section.

“Women are suffering at ZBC because of this abuse. Some women are giving in to these sexual advances because they are desperate for a job.

“It’s just that I can’t get another job. Otherwise I’d leave and return when the situation improves. I’m afraid,” the woman said.

She said the corporation had also introduced a questionable shift system where women were now required to work at night on a rotational basis. Many married women deplored the new system. Others feared that abusive bosses wanted to pounce on them at night when there were few witnesses.

Another TV news anchor (Tsitsi Dube [not real name], who also asks not to be named in print) said she had been pulled off the air after she resisted the advances of a named official (Mandizvidza).

“We thought he just wanted interns but it seems noone is safe,” she said.

Another worker said her marriage had become strained because of the persistent demands of her boss, who sometimes asked her to stay behind when her shift ended and her colleagues left.

“I could not tell my husband about it. I could not tell anyone. I felt ashamed and I wondered why he was targeting me. Going to work became a nightmare. I felt as if I was going to a brothel where anyone could ask you for sex,” she said.

The Federation of African Media Women in Zimbabwe (FAMWZ) has expressed outrage at the abuse. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

12 Comments on "ZBC managers demand sex from female workers"

Thabani Mukombe on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 6:13 am

Kuita basa rekukwirana apa programming Zero. Imi imbwa dzeZanu imi?

JOHN BANDA on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 6:46 am

iwe thabani mukombe, sei uchingopinza zanu pese pese. hazvisi zve zanu zvekukwirana izvi, nyangwe iwe we mdc unokwirawo wani and muchiita zveku repa futi. useless people,terrorists.

Davita on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 12:49 pm

ZANu PF is the one running the company so they are responsible

Anonymous on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 4:18 pm

Banda yu are an illigal immigrant in Zimbabwe, Malawi is waiting for you, Writting in Shona doesnt mean that you are a Zimbabwean. We do not need wild cats in Zimbabwe, let zimbabweans sort out they issues

Thabani Mukombe on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 5:15 pm

@ Banda you are dull. the fact that I say Zanu is bad doesnt mean that am MDC. Behavior yenyu iyi ndiyo yakauraya nyika.

Dofo on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 5:53 pm

If the writer was trying to protect the name of one of his sources then he has failed dismally. Having used a psuedo name Mandi Dangarembwa you went on to mention the fathers links and moreso zita ramanager vanga vachinyenga. I’m sure O’brien nevamwe vekuZBC vari kuziva munhu anga achida kuitwa saka hapana chawawanza. Nhai John Chimunhu asi wakafunda kuUzumba Maramba Pfungwe kani???

John Chimunhu on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 7:50 am

Many thanks ‘Dofo’ for your interest. It reaffirms my strong belief that this matter must not be swept under the carpet as what has happened in the past.
By not publishing the victims’ names we are trying to protect them from the public gaze and possible stigmatization that would come from such disclosure. Some are married or have partners/families and that may impact negatively on them. Obviously the perpetrators know who their victims are. There is no harm in naming the alleged offenders because these are cases that have become public.
Again thanks. Stay logged on to ZimEye.org for more on this case in the coming days.
John Chimunhu

Makwaz on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 10:23 am

This are most disgraceful shenanigans at a national institution. What image does this portray of our country. As to the victimised why stop at reporting to human resources or management when no result is forthcoming. The sensible thing is to report the matter to the police and preferably contact a lawyer to ensure that the matter is handled to its logical conclusion. Letting these beastly managers get away with it will only result in more innocents being traumatised.

Thabani Mukombe on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 10:46 am

@ Chimunhu have you ever come face to face with Zanu pf. What if the perpetrators of this abuse start victimising these women again. Iethics dzekupi dzawashandisa ipapa? How did you propect the sources ipapa. Ndiudze hako journalist? Makabvumirana chii nesources ako? Do you know that as we speak your sources are now in trouble. You could have been more conscious mate?

DERRICK SIDIMO on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 1:15 pm

I personally support Chimunhu. Even without this story, these ZANU morons could have still targetted the victims as theiur cases are beiung investigated. <Making it public will help protect them

John Chimunhu on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 2:50 pm

Thanks for all the interesting comments. As Derrick says, blowing a sensitive issue like this into the public domain helps the victims. In the last few minutes I’ve just been talking to Mathew Takaona, the president of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, who tells me he is so horrified by this story that he is writing to the info minister Webster Shamu asking him what he is doing about this situation. He may not be able to do much, but I think this issue should be highlighted. Rats don’t like being exposed to the light, remember! I don’t know what Thabani thinks but lets keep the debate going until justice is done for these women.

Sori Maningi on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 5:09 pm

Thabani how can the perpetrators start victimising again when they are now exposed? Fellow workers are obviously now watching their every move.The victims will most likely be known by fellow workmates but they probably knew before anyway coz you know how rumours spread in organisations.

ZBC managers demand sex from female workers

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