Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo,Check Point Desk
A BULAWAYO widow was forced to strip herself of dignity, literally, to keep her job… but still got the boot!
Seasec Security Company is under fire after allegedly forcing a 40-year-old female guard to produce proof that she was HIV positive before sacking her for attending a medical review at a Gokwe clinic.
The woman, who lives in Entumbane, had gone for a mandatory HIV check-up when her bosses demanded she submit medical proof of her status—despite initially agreeing to her absence. The shocking instruction reportedly came from the company’s Bulawayo secretary, Precious Mambewu.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has since launched investigations following a public outcry, with its chairperson, Jessie Majome, branding the company’s conduct “outrageous and intolerable.”
Speaking from Gambia where she’s attending the 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, Majome didn’t mince her words.
“Thank you for exposing this battery of violations against a person based on their health condition. The reported conduct of the employer, if true, violates six clear provisions of the Constitution,” said Majome.
She listed the breached rights as:
• The right to inherent dignity (Sec 51)
• Equality and non-discrimination (Sec 56)
• Protection from inhuman treatment (Sec 53)
• Right to privacy, including non-disclosure of health status (Sec 57e)
• Fair labour practices and safe working conditions (Sec 65)
• Access to basic healthcare services (Sec 76)
“The ZHRC will therefore investigate this issue with the aim of fulfilling its mandate of promoting, enforcing and seeking redress for human rights violations,” Majome added.
Seasec’s silence is deafening, but with the human rights watchdog now on their trail, heads could roll.
Did Seasec cross the line? The nation watches.
