Lawyer Found Guilty of Sexual Harassment by LSZ

Harare lawyer and self-styled prophet Joshua John Chirambwe has been found guilty of professional misconduct by the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) following a complaint by Advocate Fadzayi Mahere over messages he posted on a lawyers’ WhatsApp group.

Chirambwe, who posted under the name “Young Money”, was found to have breached the LSZ Sexual Harassment Policy, 2024, over remarks directed at Mahere in the “Advocates of Zimbabwe” WhatsApp group on January 15, 2024. In a letter dated October 2, 2026, LSZ Executive Secretary Edward Mapara said the Council had considered Mahere’s complaint and Chirambwe’s responses at its meeting on August 27.

The Council concluded that Chirambwe’s conduct was inappropriate.

“Council noted that you were inappropriate in your advances and on the WhatsApp platform,” Mapara wrote.

“Council resolved that you be found guilty of unprofessional conduct and that you be asked to mitigate.”

Sexual Harassment Policy

According to the LSZ, Chirambwe’s conduct breached Part 6.2.1 of the Law Society of Zimbabwe Sexual Harassment Policy, 2024. The provision covers unwanted or unwelcome sexual attention of an offensive nature where the person giving the attention knows, or reasonably should know, that it is unwelcome and where the conduct may be understood as intended to offend, humiliate, disrespect or degrade the recipient.

The complaint was formally communicated to Chirambwe on January 31, 2025. At the time, the Law Society said Mahere had complained about what she described as a series of unprofessional and inappropriate messages concerning her, alleging that the conduct amounted to sexual harassment. The complaint also raised a possible breach of By-Law 3(23) of the Legal Practitioners (Code of Conduct) By-Laws, 2018, under Statutory Instrument 37 of 2018.

The provision requires legal practitioners to treat their professional colleagues with courtesy, respect and fairness. Chirambwe was given an opportunity to respond to the complaint, with his response to be made available to Mahere for further comment.

Awaiting Sentence

The guilty finding comes nearly 20 months after the complaint was formally communicated to Chirambwe. However, the matter has not yet reached the sentencing stage. The latest LSZ letter gives Chirambwe 14 days from the date of the letter to submit mitigation before the Council determines the appropriate sanction.

Mapara warned that if Chirambwe fails to submit his mitigation within the stipulated period, the Council will proceed to consider sentence without further reference to him. The LSZ has therefore established professional misconduct but has yet to announce the penalty that Chirambwe will face. The case highlights the professional standards governing interactions between legal practitioners, including conduct on private communication platforms used by members of the profession.

Zimbabwe lawyer professional misconduct