A wave of controversy has erupted in Zimbabwe’s judiciary after a High Court judge was placed under formal investigation over alleged flirtatious WhatsApp exchanges with a married court clerk.
Justice Pisirayi Kwenda of the Harare High Court is currently being scrutinised by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), chaired by Chief Justice Luke Malaba, following a complaint submitted by the clerk’s husband.
Reports indicate that the husband accessed the messages on his wife’s phone and forwarded screenshots of the alleged conversation to the commission. The JSC is now assessing whether the communication amounts to misconduct under the judicial code of conduct.
The alleged exchange reportedly began with the judge writing, “I miss you,” to which the clerk responded, “Really?” before their discussion moved into work-related matters. However, the tone soon shifted, with the judge allegedly making suggestive remarks connected to an upcoming court case.
One message referenced what the judge called “the goat case,” apparently pointing to a major fraud trial involving an $88 million government goat tender contract.
The conversation is said to have taken place shortly after Justice Kwenda sentenced businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu in December 2025 to prison terms over the tender scandal.
In his defence before the JSC, Justice Kwenda reportedly argued that the messages were unlawfully obtained, raising privacy concerns. The court clerk has also told the commission that no physical relationship existed between her and the judge.
The Judicial Service Commission must now decide whether the exchanges breached ethical standards and compromised the integrity expected of judicial officers. Chief Justice Malaba is expected to make the final determination on whether disciplinary action will follow.
The unfolding matter has drawn comparisons to a major 2021 scandal that led to the removal of Judge Thompson Mabhikwa after allegations involving a court clerk escalated into disciplinary proceedings.
