In a shocking turn of events, a senior executive at Simbisa Brands Limited, the company behind popular fast-food outlets that include Chicken Inn and Pizza Inn, has been accused of using his position to prey on young female employees.
A former Chicken Inn worker – who requested anonymity for fear of victimization – claims she was romantically involved with Brian Mureverwi, a high-ranking figure at Simbisa, who led her to believe he was single and available.
“He was charming and professional at first. As my superior, he offered me mentorship and started flirting with me. He told me he was single and not in any relationship. I believed him,” said the 22-year-old whistleblower.
The relationship allegedly became physical and went on for several months until a weekend visit to Mureverwi’s Westgate residence turned everything upside down.
“That’s when I saw the truth. He left his phone unlocked. I saw family pictures, messages from his wife, and videos of his kids – who are nearly my age. That’s when I realized I’d been lied to.”
But that was not the end of her shock.
“As I kept working at Chicken Inn, I began to notice a pattern. Other girls were also seeing him. Some would even boast about being called to his office late in the evening or getting picked up in his car. It was like an open secret.”
The woman alleges that Mureverwi had multiple romantic entanglements with junior female staff, especially those working in Chicken Inn outlets around the country.
“He knows they’re young, desperate for jobs, and looking for someone to lift them up. He uses that to his advantage. It’s disgusting.”
Efforts to get a comment from Simbisa Brands Limited were unsuccessful .Repeated calls and messages to Mr. Mureverwi’s known contacts also went unanswered.
A senior employee at one of Simbisa’s Harare offices, speaking off record, confirmed having “heard rumors” of inappropriate relationships involving executives and junior staff, but said “no formal complaints had ever been made.”
This revelation has sparked outrage among young female fast-food workers who say they are often vulnerable to manipulation by senior male managers.
Some are now calling for Simbisa Brands to launch an internal probe into Mureverwi’s conduct and put mechanisms in place to protect junior staff from exploitation.
Source-The Harare Times
