BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) on Monday, March 29, 2021 ordered state-owned broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to reinstate female employees who resigned and went for an early retirement due to unfavorable environment created by MBC’s boss Aubrey Sumbuleta.
The commission has also recommended police to institute criminal investigation on Sumbuleta over his misconduct at the state broadcaster.
The report says eight female employees at MBC complained that they were sexually harassed by Aubrey Sumbuleta, former MBC Director General, in his office on a number of occasions.
Four of the eight testified before the Commission while the rest excused themselves for fear of risking their marriages and facing challenges at the workplace.
The report says the employees were therefore transferred and denied promotions for denying to give in to Sumbuleta’s sexual demands.
MHRC this morning released its reports on investigations on the alleged sexual harassment at taxpayer-MBC and another one on the death of University of Malawi’s Polytechnic student Blessings Nyondo who succumbed to gunshot wounds in December last year.
The report shows that Sumbuleta used to invite the female employees in his office at odd hours where at times he would attempt to touch them inappropriately.
It adds that for those that turned down his advances, he was making their lives difficult at the institution.According to Twea, Sumbuleta’s actions date back to 2015 when he became director-general of the institution.
The report however, says some of the female employees refused to render their evidence as the matter was not reported to their spouses.She says however, Sumbuleta denies all the allegations made against him.
In its recommendations, MHRC says that the four women must choose a lawyer of their choice on the matters and that if they won’t afford the particular lawyer, Women Lawyers Association or the Legal Aid Bureau will help.
