Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
A 40-year-old widow is facing a US$22,000 lawsuit from her former employer, Seasec Security Company, and its secretary, Ms Precious Mambewe, over claims she made following her dismissal from work.
According to court documents filed on June 24, at the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court under case number CG 221/25, the woman is being sued for allegedly making defamatory statements to the Chronicle newspaper in May this year, claiming that she was fired because of her HIV status.
The security company is demanding US$16,000 for what it calls damage to its reputation, while Ms Mambewe is suing for US$6,000, citing personal and emotional harm.
Court papers state that the woman was dismissed from her job after absenting herself from duty for three consecutive days and refusing to renew her employment contract, which had been automatically terminated in line with industry regulations.
The plaintiffs said the defendant made false and defamatory statements following her dismissal. They stated that the woman alleged that she was dismissed due to her HIV status, yet her contract was terminated automatically after she was absent without explanation and refused to renew it.
“The defendant blames the plaintiff for her dismissal, whereas she was dismissed after her contract was automatically terminated and refused to renew it after absenting from work for three consecutive days,” read part of the summons.
The company said she failed to produce a doctor’s letter to justify her absence and instead approached the Chronicle, claiming she was unfairly dismissed by Ms Mambewe due to her health condition.
According to the company, her actions were a breach of the National Employment Council of the Security Industry’s code of conduct, which allows for automatic dismissal after three days of unapproved absence.
In her lawsuit, Ms Mambewe claims that the article published in the Chronicle has caused serious damage to her reputation, leading to emotional and psychological distress.
“After the article was published, my colleagues, family and subordinates began to lose respect for me. I was in the middle of writing my Master’s degree exams but struggled to concentrate due to the stress,” she said.
Ms Mambewe also claims she was publicly ridiculed, with some people pointing fingers and insulting her in the streets. The ordeal, she says, also led to the termination of her engagement.
She said her fiancé ended their relationship after his family read the newspaper article.
“My fiancé did not want to be associated with me and our relationship ended and now I am alone and pregnant. As a result, my life has been at a standstill since the release of the article,” said Mambewe.
However, in her version of events, the former security guard told the Chronicle that she was denied permission to attend a routine HIV clinic review in Gokwe, Midlands Province, on April 17, unless she disclosed her HIV status or surrendered her uniform.
She claimed Ms Mambewe told her not to return to work if she chose to leave without providing proof of her status, a requirement she said infringed on her right to privacy and medical confidentiality.
The matter attracted the attention of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), which launched investigations.
“I can confirm that our Bulawayo office finished the investigations last week. They will be sharing the report. It will be tabled at our July meeting for adoption,” said the ZHRC chairperson, Ms Jessie Majome.
