ZBC sex scandal

FAMWZ national director, Angela Makamure, said in an interview on Tuesday that she had received numerous reports of harassment of women at ZBC and the matter should now be taken seriously. ZBC has set up a board of enquiry chaired by human resources director, Bernania Shumba, to probe reports of sexual attacks on a number of interns and other staff by news and current affairs general manager, Tarzan Mandizvidza, and reporters manager, OBrian Rwafa.

Makamure said an internal probe was never going to resolve the issue as some female ZBC employees who had raised complaints with FAMWZ had withdrawn the cases fearing victimization. She suspected they were threatened by the perpetrators, who are senior staffers at the state-run broadcaster.

We need people who are level-headed and independent to be in charge of this investigation. Yes, we can have a representative from ZBC but let outsiders take over this case. In the past there have been internal investigations but nothing came out of them. This is why cases have been swept under the carpet. This issue has to be pursued, Makamure said.

After a report appeared in The Zimbabwean over a case in which Rwafa was accused of making an employee pregnant against her wishes, Makamure phoned senior colleagues at ZBC enquiring as to what they could do as a network to protect juniors who appeared more vulnerable.

When I phoned female colleagues they told me, We have heard the reports (of harassment) and we know they are true but there is nothing we can do. We are equally victims, Makamure said. She expressed concern that women, some of whom were happily married, were being subjected to sexual attacks which could expose them to HIV/AIDS.

She said FAMWZ was working on programmes to empower its members through training as some yielded to the advances due to ignorance of their rights. Makamure also called for an end to the ZBCs monopoly of the airwaves, saying many of the victims could get employed elsewhere if Zanu PFs stranglehold on the airwaves was broken.