Fired High Court judge ordered to return all gvt property

Fired High Court judge Justice Thompson Mabhikwa has been ordered to return all government property within two weeks.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa fired suspended Bulawayo High Court Justice Mabhikwa for gross misconduct, sexual harassment and nude photos after a nasty and bitter fallout with a colleague and lover Oratile Nare following a tribunal investigation.

Mnangagwa in June 2021 constituted a three-member tribunal to investigate the suitability of Mabhikwa to continue serving on the bench after being charged for alleged misconduct, sexual harassment and possessing pornographic material linked to his former girlfriend Nare.

The tribunal was to investigate Mabhikwa’s conduct to ascertain whether it can be deemed to have been tantamount to gross misconduct; whether or not he committed acts of sexual harassment and possessed pornographic material when he dated a High Court staffer and subordinate.

The tribunal was initially made up of retired Justice Maphios Cheda
as chair (he was later replaced by Mtshiya), Chaka Mashoko and Phillipa Magnify Phillips, while Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Virginia Mabiza was the tribunal.

Mabhikwa had an affair with Nare who was Bulawayo High Court Justice Maxwell Takuva’s assistant at the time.

Nare became jealous after she saw raunchy or sexually explicit messages and nudes sent to another woman by the judge, and then spilt the beans on social media in rage.