Zimbabwean Activist Rita Marque Lunga-Mbatha Wins Compensation After 20-Year Legal Battle
Zimbabwean women and children’s rights activist, Rita Marque Lunga-Mbatha, has been awarded compensation after a lengthy legal battle spanning over 20 years. Lunga-Mbatha was unfairly dismissed by her former employer, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), and she represented herself in court, presenting overwhelming evidence. In a separate case, she had also filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against her former boss at CZI, Farai Zizhou, who was the chief executive at the time.
Lunga-Mbatha has been awarded a total of US$227,850.01 in compensation. High Court Justice Gladys Mhuri awarded her US$47,850.01 for unfair dismissal, and she had previously won US$180,000 in damages for the sexual harassment case. Despite demanding US$500,000 from CZI, the court ruled in her favour and awarded her the aforementioned amounts.
Lunga-Mbatha spoke about the sexual harassment she endured at CZI, stating that she reported it to the then-president of the organisation, Anthony Mandiwanza, but was met with disbelief and dismissal due to her marital status, the NewsHawks reported. Following her report, she was dismissed from her job and had to pursue the matter through the Labour Court, enduring humiliating and demeaning questions during the hearings. Said Lunga-Mbatha:
In 2003 I suffered debilitating sexual harassment at work at the hands of my former boss Mr Farai Zizhou who was then the chief executive officer of the CZI. I told the then president of the CZI, Mr Anthony Mandiwanza, who said as a married woman I should be ashamed to aver that I had been sexually harassed. After this, I was dismissed from employment and I went on to take the matter with the Labour Court.
However, her persistence paid off as the Supreme Court ruled in her favour in June 2017.
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This judgment settles part of her case, the other half continues as the case against CZI is still ongoing.
Lunga-Mbatha explained that the sexual harassment she experienced occurred for about nine months. It began while she was still probation at her job. She was hired by CZI in September 2002 but was terminated in July 2003. Lunga-Mbatha believes that her dismissal was unjust and unfair. She claims that Zizhou was responsible for orchestrating her dismissal. She claims that he deliberately planned and executed it as an act of retaliation after she reported him for the sexual harassment she endured.
Observers argue that the justice system needs to reflect upon itself considering the 20-year duration it took to conclude this case. They point out that it is highly likely that the applicant or victim would have passed away before the case reached a resolution. Moreover, some commentators express disappointment with the awarded compensation of $47,000 after two decades of legal proceedings. They calculate that it amounts to approximately $195 per month. They also fear that it might take another 20 years for the victim to receive the full amount. This lengthy process and inadequate compensation discourage many individuals from pursuing legal action in similar cases. Others argue that the slow progress of the case indicates a possible involvement of bribery and corruption.
