MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-Women Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCOZ) has strongly condemned alleged rampant sexual harassment by a top manager at Pick n Pay supermarket, Gweru CBD branch.
WCoZ Midlands chapter chairperson, Nozipo Rutsate told The Midweek Watch that her organization is very concerned by reports of sexual abuse in exchange of employment and promotion at the leading retail outlet.
“As Women Coalition of Zimbabwe, we strongly condemn acts of sexual abuse of any form at the workplace and we will fight very hard to ensure justice is served as we stand with the victims at this difficult times.
“We believe that at a workplace, the environment should be conducive for each and every person to work. One should get employed based on merit and not through sexual favours,” she said.
She called upon the labour unions to join hands and fight the case as well as the scourge which is now rampant at workplaces across the country due to limited job opportunities.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) Midlands Regional secretary Rebecca Butau also lambasted the manager’s exploitative behavior and called on Pick n Pay to thoroughly investigate the matter.
“As labour, we don’t condone such behavior, it’s a criminal offence and the company should investigate the matter to curb such insolent behavior in the industry.
“It is clear that women are suffering in silence from sexual harassment at work stations. We expect the manager to protect the employees instead of becoming the perpetrator of sexual abuse,” added Butau.
She urged the affected female employees to report the matter as they are protected by the law.
The condemnation comes after the disgraced Pick n Pay manager, Abel Chikanya who was allegedly running a sex ring involving married women at the outlet, resigned from his job on Wednesday after he was summoned by his superiors.
The case came to light after Chikanya fired some of the employees following a spate of theft cases at the giant retail supermarket.
Resultantly, one of the alleged sexually abused married women named as Fezile from Bulawayo and married to one Moyo, threatened Chikanya that she will not go to jail alone in a 34 minutes audio conversation in possession of this publication.
Efforts to get a comment from Pick n Pay head office were fruitless as their phones went unanswered until the time of posting the story.
