Minister Muswere: Government Will Eliminate Sexual Harassment In Media Houses

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere has said the government will make efforts to eliminate instances of sexual harassment in media houses.

He also said media houses should appoint change agents who ensure a safe and secure workplace for journalists, The Herald reported. Dr. Muswere made these remarks during the 2023 Gender Media Conference organised by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF). He emphasised the importance of creating a favourable working environment for all individuals in Zimbabwe. He said:

I also want to underline that it is the Government’s policy to liquidate sexual harassment activities in newsrooms in order to support the girl child, in order also to support each and every Zimbabwean because we want a safe and secure workplace for every Zimbabwean.

The most important thing that we would like to urge all media houses to do is to have a change in terms of organisational behaviour. We need change agents to be able to create a safe and secure working environment for all journalists, be it male or female.

There is need to come up with measures to protect the girl child from sexual harassment in the newsroom but we need to understand the challenges beyond the complaints.

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Minister Muswere emphasised the importance of addressing sexual harassment in media houses to create a gender-sensitive and inclusive industry. He suggested that such issues may be a result of a culture created by older journalists in positions of power. 

Minister Muswere’s comments come in light of the suspension of Robson Mhandu, the director of radio services at ZBC, due to allegations of sexual harassment. Mhandu is accused of requesting sexual favours from a female presenter, Farai Juliet Magada, in order to approve her transfer request. Audio recordings and WhatsApp messages have been shared as evidence, indicating that Mhandu used his power to intimidate and coerce Magada.

The case involving Mhandu is seen as evidence of a larger issue of senior male bosses exploiting young women in newsrooms for personal gain. The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has acknowledged the allegations of sexual harassment and is conducting investigations and disciplinary proceedings to address the situation.

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