A provincial magistrate at Esigodini Court in the tiny Matebeleland South town faces charges of assaulting and kidnapping against his maid.
Tawanda Muchemwa (35) on Monday appeared before Harare regional magistrate Lucy Mugwari for allegedly assaulting and kidnapping Shaymore Musendekwa (20).
Appearing for the state, Thabekani Nyathi told the court that on 8 May 2018 at around 1620 hours, Musendekwa wanted to take her employer’s children for a bath.
The children refused and started pouring water onto the floor.
“The complainant then advised the children’s mother, Petronella Muchemwa who then replied the complainant that she was troubling her children and she (Petronella) was going to call the accused and report her,” said Nyathi.
Prosecutors told court that the magistrate’s wife phoned her husband to report the incident.
Muchemwa arrived home at 1710 hours and started assaulting Musendekwa with his belt several times all over her body.
At that note, court heard, Musendekwa told her abusive employer bluntly that she was not prepared to toil for a wage of RTGS$80 and still be subjected to physical abuse.
This further incensed Muchemwa who continued with the assault.
“On the 11th May 2018 at around 0800 hours, the accused person ordered the complainant to lock the gate and hand over the keys to him.
“A few minutes later, accused person unlocked the gate and went inside the house where the complainant was and told her not to talk or attend to anyone who comes at the house and further not to furnish her particulars and residential address to anyone who calls her on her mobile phone,” Nyathi told the court.
Thereafter, court further heard, Muchemwa went on to lock his maid inside the house and went away with the keys.
The complainant then phoned her aunt, one Primrose Gwese who reported the case to the police.
