Proton Bakeries in Turmoil: Union Steps in as Female Workers Expose Harassment by Boss

SEX-FOR-JOBS OUTCRY: Manager Fired as Proton Bakeries Hit by Shocking Sexual Harassment Allegations

Entity: Proton Bakeries (Marondera Headquarters)  
  Accused Manager: Evans Koga (Reportedly Axed)  
  Union Escalation: United Food and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe (UFAWUZ)

A corrosive sexual exploitation scandal has exploded inside one of Zimbabwe’s largest manufacturing enterprises, with bread giant Proton Bakeries in Marondera facing fierce scrutiny after a senior manager was reportedly fired for preying on vulnerable female workers in exchange for job security.

Legal gavel and corporate accountability documents
CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY: Labor unions warn they will drag Proton Bakeries before the Zimbabwe Gender Commission if management fails to clean out predators.

Senior management figure Evans Koga has lost his job in the immediate fallout of the explosive allegations. Trade unionists have delivered a blistering ultimatum to company directors, demanding a company-wide purge of coercive "sex-for-contract-extension" practices that target both married and single female employees.

Predators on the Factory Floor: How the Scandal Broke

Behind the cheerful red-and-white delivery trucks of Zimbabwe’s second-largest bakery lies a toxic culture of intimidation, silent tears, and predatory contracts according to union reports.

Key details emerging from the Marondera plant:

Contract Extortion Exposed Affected female staff revealed an ongoing pattern where contract renewals, favorable shift rosters, and general job security were tied directly to submitting to unwelcome sexual advances. Those who resisted faced threats of non-renewal in a punishing economic environment where unemployment leaves workers desperate.
Executive Dismissal & Stonewall Silence Following an initial internal panic, Evans Koga was removed from his position. Both Koga and Proton Bakeries' top executive management have thus far maintained absolute silence, declining to issue public explanations or state the measures taken to protect other female personnel.

UFAWUZ Blows the Whistle: The 24-Hour Dossier

Frustrated by corporate delays and human resources foot-dragging, the United Food and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe (UFAWUZ) intervened directly at board level.

General Secretary Mutero’s Letter of Demand In a blistering letter dated August 24, 2026, UFAWUZ General Secretary Mutero explicitly named the manager involved in molesting a female employee. The union confronted the board, demanding immediate disciplinary action and giving company directors a strict 24-hour ultimatum to account for their silence.
Zero Tolerance for Coerced Consent “We will not leave women in the workplace at the mercy of managers who seek to exploit them by demanding sexual favours in exchange for guarantees of contract extension,” the union warned, castigating the HR Manager for ignoring the trauma of vulnerable women whether married or single.

The Threat of National Gender Commission Escalation

The union made it unequivocally clear that firing a single manager is not the end of the road. UFAWUZ has outlined decisive legal and civil escalation steps:

1. Referral to the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC): A formal petition is being drafted to trigger a sweeping state probe into the systemic sexual harassment, assault, and exploitative labor practices at the Marondera plant under Section 246 of the Constitution.

2. Mobilization of National Women’s Rights Coalitions: UFAWUZ announced plans to rally civil society organizations, legal advocates for women, and allied trade unions to protest at Proton premises and launch consumer awareness campaigns.

3. Labor Act Criminal Liability: Zimbabwe's amended Labour Act explicitly classifies sexual harassment as an unfair labor practice carrying severe legal and civil liability for employers who harbor or protect offending executives.

EDITORIAL VERDICT

Sacking One Man Will Not Wash Away Corporate Complicity

Quietly letting a rogue manager slip out the back door while keeping victims under non-disclosure intimidation is the oldest corporate trick in the book. It will not work here.

Proton Bakeries sells bread to millions of Zimbabwean families every morning. It cannot afford to brand its products with the sweat, tears, and coerced dignity of exploited women. If the board of directors genuinely disavows predatory behavior, they must initiate an independent audit, overhaul their human resources grievance system, and ensure that every woman walking into their factory can earn her livelihood with her dignity intact.

Women go to work to earn a living—not to be hunted by men holding contracts over their heads.

Investigative Desk | Maestro Headlines Labour & Corporate Ethics

Welcome to David Manema’s Blog

David Manema, the Marketing Specialist at Sona Solar Zimbabwe, is a driving force in promoting renewable energy and strategic brand growth across Zimbabwe.

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