Harare – Harare-based legal practitioner Joshua Chirambwe, who also styles himself as Prophet Advocate, has vehemently denied allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by fellow lawyer and former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson, Fadzayi Mahere.
In a four-page response to the LSZ, Chirambwe dismissed Mahere’s claims as “perplexing, farcical and absurd,” questioning why she had not raised her concerns with him directly, given their professional proximity. Both lawyers occupy offices in Tanganyika House, share a parking lot, and frequently encounter each other in the lift.
Chirambwe stated, “It is with a modicum of dismay that the first knowledge I garnered of this complaint was via the highly public and unfortunately informal social media. Maybe because I am young, but I thought that it is in the interests of procedural propriety for such matters to remain between the relevant parties.”
He further criticised the evidence provided by Mahere, arguing that the screenshots lacked metadata and were incomplete. “Any substantive response requires the production of original screenshots with metadata,” he argued, adding that a full transcript was necessary to assess the exchange.
Chirambwe also pointed to his marital status as evidence of his character, stating that he is happily married to his wife, Mukudzei, “a woman of remarkable accomplishments and grace,” with whom he has two children, Beyonce and Chloe. “In light of my union with my beloved wife, Mukudzei, I perceive no cause to seek companionship of another woman,” he wrote.
Drawing on Shakespearean language, Chirambwe added, “Like Viola in Twelfth Night, Act 1, scene 5; but, verily, I possess no desire nor affection for Fadzai Mahere, forsooth, mine heart is pledged unto my fair wife, with whom I share a bounty of love and devotion even in the wake of this complaint, as a man bound by marriage’s sacred vow.”
Chirambwe, who describes himself as a self-styled prophet, argued that he could not be expected to explain a dream he never had nor respond to a ghost story without verifying its existence.
“Before one responds to a ghost story, they must verify if the ghost even exists. I cannot be expected to explain a dream that I never had, hence a causal link must be established,” he wrote.
He also stated, “I have never, under any circumstances or in any WhatsApp exchange anywhere in this world, made any reference to Fadzai Mahere.”
Chirambwe also challenged Mahere to outline a legal basis for her claims, including a clear statutory definition of sexual harassment. “Before one responds to a ghost story, they must verify if the ghost even exists. This is dry law and reason,” he stated.
“I am a paragon of unwavering resolve, a man of riches and unbounded courage, unshaken by the presence of any individual, whether they be living or the departed, such that had I harboured any intention to proffer my affections towards her, I would have approached her directly unencumbered by any apprehension, given our approximate parking arrangements and frequent cordial exchanges in the lift,” Chirambwe asserted in his response to the LSZ.
He further argued, “Even in this instance, such an overture cannot, in and of itself, constitute sexual harassment. As a legal practitioner, she is well aware that any expression of interest by a man is inherently subject to her discretion to either say [1] YES, or [2] NO.”
