Lobels Biscuits chief in dock for rape, sexual harassment

LOBELS Biscuits chief operations officer Andrew Dinhidza, has been dragged to court facing nine counts of rape and sexually harassing subordinates.

Dinhidza appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Joseph Mabeza, yesterday.

In one of the counts, which allegedly happened sometime in March 2021, a female employee told the court that she was fired for attending to her sick child.

Dinhidza then demanded sexual favours for her to get her job back

Dinhidza allegedly raped her. She was medically examined and a report was compiled.

In another case which allegedly took place in 2020, Dinhidza demanded sex from a contract worker who had been with the company since 2009 in return for fulltime employment.

In another count, a female employee told the court that she was raped by Dinhidza sometime in 2013 after she went to his office to enquire why her husband had been dismissed.

Dinhidza, who was the human resources manager then, allegedly raped her and reinstated her husband.  

The workers were represented by Mary Nyika of Macharaga Law Chambers.