Gender Commission probes LSU harassment scandal

THE Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) says it has begun investigations on a case where Lupane State University (LSU) vice-chancellor (VC) Pardon Kuipa is being accused of sexually abusing females at the institution.

One of the victims yesterday told Southern Eye that she met ZGC officials together with her lawyers.

ZGC commissioner Dalubuhle Sibanda confirmed that the commission received a complaint from a female staff member at the LSU and indicated that they had done preliminary investigations.

"We had a report of an LSU sexual harassment case from one of the staff members, and so we did preliminary investigations to get the details of the matter. We wrote to the registrar asking about the issue, and he confirmed that there was such a complaint," Sibanda said.

"Now the procedure is that we need to go to the institution and do follow-ups on the high-profile case.  Our (ZGC) chief executive officer Virginia Muwanigwa is in a better position to shed light on the issue."

Muwanigwa referred Southern Eye to ZGC's legal and investigations manager Tinashe Mazani.

At the time of going to print last night, Mazani had not responded to questions sent to him.

Last week, some women stormed the university campus in protest over alleged abuses by Kuipa.

University spokesperson Zwelithini Dlamini confirmed the protests and receipt of a petition against Kuipa.

"From the brief that I just received, I confirm that a group of women visited the registrar and presented a petition to him. The position of the university is that intensive sensitisation of both staff and students should be carried out so that people are adequately informed about sexual harassment issues," Dlamini said.