Two senior officials of a Catholic church agency meant to help refugees have been sacked for sexually harassing and demanding sexual favours from their charges at a camp in Zimbabwe, it was confirmed on Thursday.
A statement from the Geneva-based International Catholic Migration Commission said it had dismissed Ernest Maigurira, the agency’s director in Zimbabwe, and Mavuvo Pambai, its community service officer at Tongogara camp in southeastern Zimbabwe.
Dale Buscher, head of the commission, said he was ”certain” that allegations against the dismissed officials were true for at least 10 women and girls between the ages of 15 and 35. Allegations of sodomy involving a 15-year-old boy also surfaced.
”I do not know if there was any statutory rape or coerced sex to get services,” Buscher said.
Tongogara, a camp once visited by Diana, the deceased princess of Wales, holds about 500 refugees, mostly Somalis, Rwandans, Angolans and Sudanese. It is run by the ICMC on behalf of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. – Sapa-DPA