Employees in the Department of Immigration Control Friday morning demonstrated against alleged sexual harassment of female members by the organization’s top brass.
Speaking to 263Chat, one Nkosana Mthunzi who said he is the Principal Immigration Officer said most female employees are going through horrific experiences at the hands of senior management who are abusing them in return for promotions and safeguarding their jobs.
Mthunzi said some of the women who could not bear the harassment have resigned, calling on the Minister of Women Affairs to intervene and address their grievances.
“This is real, a lot of the young women are transferred to the borders after they turn down proposals from the bosses, and they resign after speaking out as the issues are not taken seriously,
“Jobs are hard to come by, some don’t speak out in fear of losing their jobs and eventually get sexually involved with the bosses, some of them even have children with them,
“Minister of women affairs, Sithembiso Nyoni is at the UN addressing women issues yet she has not dealt with what is on the ground here in Zimbabwe. We have been to parliament with this issue and it is has not addressed,
“The working conditions become harsh for them after turning down proposals and eventually they are forced to resign,” explained Mthunzi.
He added that sexual harassment escalated to the point of separating couples that worked in the same building by transferring the men to branches that are out of town.
Aspiring Member of Parliament for Harare Central, Linda Masarira who was part of the protestors said the habit of treating women as second class citizens has to stop.
“Its sad to note that we still have government bosses in Zimbabwe who are still abusing women, women go to work to take care of their families and not give bosses sexual favors,
“These situations are also prevalent at other government offices like the police force, the army and the NRZ, women are still being treated as second class citizens and this habit has to stop,
“Women need to stand up and be bold enough to speak out against sexual abuse,” said Masarira.
The Department of Immigration Control however refuted allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of office by top department bosses .
Briefing the media yesterday the Department of Immigration principal director Mr Clemence Masango said the claims by a group of former employees led by one Nkosana Mtunzi alleging irregularities in the operations of the department are false adding that the group is no longer part of the department’s staff as they were dismissed from the service through disciplinary procedure.
