Security firm sues +HIV ex-employee

Seasec Security Company has filed a US$16,000 defamation lawsuit against a former female employee who accused the company of firing her due to her HIV-positive status. The company's secretary, Ms Precious Mambewe, has also lodged a separate US$6,000 suit against the same woman, claiming personal defamation.

According to court documents filed by Seasec, the former employee — a 40-year-old widow — allegedly made false and damaging statements to the media following her dismissal earlier this year. The company maintains that her employment was terminated not due to her HIV status, but because of a breach of contract after she was absent from work for three consecutive days without a valid medical excuse or official communication.

"The defendant made false and defamatory statements following her dismissal from Seasec Security Company," the company's legal submission reads. "She claimed that she was dismissed because she is HIV positive, but in reality, her contract was automatically terminated due to her absence from work and refusal to renew the contract thereafter."

The company argues that the employee failed to present a doctor's letter to justify her absenteeism, a requirement under the National Employment Council (NEC) Code of Conduct for the security industry, which provides for automatic termination after three unexplained absences.

Ms Mambewe, who was named in the former guard's allegations, also filed her own lawsuit, asserting that her professional reputation was unfairly tarnished by the claim that she discriminated against the employee because of her HIV status.

"The claims made to the media, including the Chronicle, falsely accused Ms Mambewe of dismissing the employee on discriminatory grounds," said the company's legal team.

However, the ex-employee has maintained that her absence was due to her need to attend a mandatory HIV review at a clinic in Gokwe, Midlands Province. Reports from Zimpapers indicate she was denied permission to go for the review unless she disclosed her HIV status — a demand she says was both humiliating and discriminatory.

She reportedly later told journalists that her dismissal was linked to her health status, a claim Seasec strongly denies.

The case has raised wider questions around workplace discrimination, employee rights, and the treatment of workers living with HIV in Zimbabwe's private security sector. Human rights advocates say the matter highlights the need for greater awareness and enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, particularly when it comes to health and privacy in employment.

The legal proceedings are expected to set an important precedent in how companies handle both workplace discipline and sensitive health-related employee issues. A court date for the hearings is yet to be announced.