The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has opened a formal investigation into allegations that a Bulawayo-based security company unlawfully dismissed a female employee due to her HIV-positive status.
The 40-year-old widow from Entumbane, who worked as a security guard, claims she was fired after returning from a medical visit to Gokwe—a trip for which her employer had initially granted leave. According to the woman, the company later demanded documentation confirming her HIV status before terminating her employment.
Sources familiar with the case allege that the order to obtain her medical records came from a senior administrator at the company’s Bulawayo office, prompting serious concerns about discrimination, medical privacy violations, and unlawful labour practices.
ZHRC Chairperson Jessie Majome, speaking from an international human rights conference in The Gambia, condemned the alleged dismissal as a blatant violation of the woman’s constitutional rights. “This appears to be an unacceptable infringement of fundamental rights,” Majome stated, pledging a full and impartial inquiry.
She added that the commission is considering whether the company’s actions breached several constitutional guarantees, including the right to personal dignity, protection from discrimination, freedom from cruel or degrading treatment, medical confidentiality, fair labour practices, and access to healthcare. Should the investigation confirm wrongdoing, the ZHRC has vowed to hold those responsible accountable and pursue appropriate remedies for the affected employee.
As public outrage grows, the security firm in question has yet to issue a statement. Legal experts caution that, if the allegations are proven, the company could face serious legal and reputational fallout under Zimbabwean labour and human rights law.
