Zimbabwe faces a unique problem in dealing with high-profile sex scandals and related issues.
What frequently happens in the country is the micromanagement and the abandonment of critical security issues.
As a result, the syndrome obtained when urgent security issues are abandoned or inadequately performed, and when important components of controlling sexual abuses are jettisoned, the essentialities of the pertinent issues are the 'under-carpet sweeping' syndrome.
When under carpet syndromes become unbearable, relapse may occur and cause chaos.
Even after whistle-blowers accuse the government of covering up high profile sex scandals, most of the cases have been ignored or swept under the rug.
Sexual abuse cases reported in the country in 2022 revealed that children accounted for at least 58% of the victims, a figure which is worrying.
It should be noted that the statistics only recorded children, which might mean that there are many cases of sexual abuse that remain uncovered.
Some top government officials have been accused of bullying and sexual harassment in sensational reports.
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This demonstrates the perverse effects of misogyny and masculine chauvinism in Zimbabwe.
To make matters worse, efforts to muzzle and quieten the cries of female victims are successful.
The country has recorded a number of sexual abuse cases that can demonstrate the level of the crisis.
Former vice-president Kembo Mohadi resigned in 2021 following media reports that he had engaged in improper conduct with several women, including some that were married.
Mohadi, along with Constantino Chiwenga, was a deputy to President Emmerson Mnangagwa since 2018, but without a political power base, he was not seen as a potential successor to the president.
An online media publication ZimLive reported that Mohadi had improper sexual liaisons with married women, including one of his subordinates.
But Mohadi denied the accusations saying this was part of a political plot against him and insisted on denying the accusations, saying he would seek legal recourse.
Surprisingly the issue was swept under the carpet and there was never any legal action.
Chief Fortune Charumbira, president of the Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs and chair of the Pan African Parliament, was recently reported for alleged indecent assault after reportedly making unwanted sexual advances on his 27-year-old niece.
Charumbira is said to have started comforting the woman after she told him she did not approve of his sexual advances.
However, despite the fact that the complainant formally filed a report at Masvingo Central Police Station under RRB 5457646, Charumbira is yet to be arrested.
Zimbabwe needs to create a justice system that embraces the opportunity to learn and improve, starting with the police.
The detection and masking of sexual abuses by some individuals allegedly linked to the ruling Zanu PF party can be viewed as an opportunity to continuously build sexual harassment resistance.
Legislators must rigorously examine the risks and contributing factors leading to such sexual behaviours coming from high profile people.
By asking the right questions, and seeking robust answers, the parliament can create cultural change.
Zimbabweans need a country in which sexual abuse cases are identified, addressed, and treated with the same importance as the modern day approach to murder and safety management across the country.
The government must do more to raise awareness of the protections for those who speak up. Sexual harassment detection and prevention relies on people reporting wrongdoing. The mere knowledge of protections is not enough. To come forward, those who disclose must feel safe and genuinely believe they will be supported. Leaders should cultivate environments where citizens genuinely feel safe to speak up.
*Evans Mathanda is a journalist and development practitioner who writes in his personal capacity. For feedback email: [email protected] or call 0719770038 and Twitter: @EvansMathanda19
