Investigation Launched Into High Court Judge Over Flirtatious WhatsApp Exchange with Court Clerk's Wife

Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, a High Court judge in Zimbabwe, is currently under investigation by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) following the submission of alleged flirtatious WhatsApp messages sent between him and his wife, who works as a court clerk.

The complaint has surfaced regarding Justice Kwenda from the Harare High Court. This matter is under review by the JSC, which is overseen by Luke Malaba.

Reports indicate that the court clerk's husband accessed these messages on his wife’s mobile device and subsequently provided screenshots of the conversations to the commission. The JSC is now evaluating if this exchange constitutes misconduct as per the judicial code of conduct.

It is reported that the chat began with Justice Kwenda expressing, “I miss you,” to which the clerk replied, “Really?” The conversation then shifted towards work schedules. In reference to an upcoming case, Justice Kwenda mentioned in Shona, “Ne case yembudzi iyoyi (With this goat case),” a nod to a recent notable fraud trial linked to a government goat supply contract.

The court clerk responded with, “Yaa pange paipa, I hope tools down now.” The judge then replied with “...and tools in,” followed by a “see no evil” monkey emoji, to which the clerk questioned, “Kkk in where?”

The dialogue reportedly occurred shortly after Justice Kwenda sentenced businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu to prison on December 8, 2025, regarding the fraudulent US$88 million agriculture ministry goat supply agreement.

In addressing the JSC, legal sources suggest that Justice Kwenda is contending the messages were obtained unlawfully, centering his argument on a claimed invasion of privacy. Furthermore, the court clerk has reportedly affirmed to the commission that there was no physical relationship between herself and the judge.

The JSC is responsible for determining if the communications breached judicial ethical guidelines. Chief Justice Malaba is anticipated to reach a final decision concerning potential disciplinary actions. JSC spokesperson Daniel Nemukuyu refrained from commenting on the issue when approached on February 7, 2026, and the complainant also opted not to provide a statement.

This incident has drawn parallels to a judicial scandal in 2021 that resulted in the dismissal of Judge Thompson Mabhikwa after a personal relationship with a court clerk worsened due to the circulation of private images, eventually prompting disciplinary procedures that led to his removal from the bench.