Ministry probes sexual harassment claims after worker’s suicide warning

THE Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development is investigating sexual harassment allegations after a junior female employee lodged a complaint against her supervisor.

Sources said the supervisor, whose name is being withheld, allegedly boasted that no action would be taken against him even if the matter was reported to district or provincial offices. The complainant reportedly wrote several distress letters over a one-year period, but received no response.

In her final letter to the ministry’s head office, the employee warned that the continued inaction had driven her to contemplate suicide, saying she was living under constant threats and verbal abuse from her supervisor.

The complainant, whose identity is being withheld, is a community development co-ordinator based in Bubi District, Matabeleland North Province. She first lodged a formal grievance on May 16, 2024, addressed to community development officers within the ministry, alleging sexual harassment and abuse dating back to 2021.

After receiving no response, she wrote a follow-up letter on November 24, 2024, addressed to the Public Service Commission (PSC) in Bubi District, inquiring about the status of her case.

“In May 2024, I wrote a letter and also reported physically that I have been harassed and abused (naming the accused) since I started work in 2021. I would like to check what the status is with my case because ever since then, there has been no response. It has been six months and nothing has been done or said about the issue. I hope my letter will get a response,” reads part of the letter seen by this publication.

As with her earlier correspondence, she did not receive any feedback from the district PSC. This prompted her to escalate the matter further by writing identical follow-up letters on June 12 last year to the provincial head of the PSC, Mr Isaac Ndebele, and to the ministry’s head office.

“I am writing to follow up on my letter dated May 21, 2024, in which I reported sexual harassment incidents perpetrated by my supervisor. I realise that it has been over a year since I made this report and I have not yet heard any feedback or response regarding my report. Your failure to act on my report has disempowered me and I am contemplating committing suicide,” she wrote.

She said the lack of action had forced her to copy the chairperson of the PSC and the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, questioning whether the workplace remained safe for women.

“I wonder if I should conclude that the workplace is no longer safe for women,” she wrote.
Contacted for comment, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Dr Marvis Sibanda, confirmed that the complaint had been received and said investigations were underway.

“I am aware of the case, which is receiving attention, and the complainant is aware that the case is being processed,” she said.

However, documents seen by this publication show that the accused supervisor, in a letter written in May 2024 and addressed to the district head of the PSC, claimed the matter had been resolved internally.

“I acknowledge allegations that were raised of sexual harassment against me. Following the meeting that was held, the issue was solved amicably between the parties. I therefore promise that I will not be vindictive towards the aggrieved member. Thank you for addressing the matter internally,” reads the letter.

Despite this claim, the complainant continued to write follow-up letters for more than a year, insisting that her grievance had not been resolved and that she remained traumatised and vulnerable.

In April 2022, the Government approved the Zimbabwe Public Sexual Harassment Policy as part of measures to improve ambience at work stations and tackle sexual harassment in workplaces. The policy was subsequently launched three months later in Harare, marking a key milestone in the country’s efforts to eradicate workplace sexual harassment and promote an inclusive public service.

In 2020, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) collaborated with the PSC to conduct a baseline study assessing knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards sexual harassment within the public service.

The results confirmed that sexual harassment, both verbal and physical, remains common, inadequately addressed and detrimental to employee effectiveness and efficiency.

The findings reinforced the need for co-ordinated action, ultimately leading to the development of the national sexual harassment policy.