adminPamela Shumba Chronicle Reporter
A 22-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo’s Pumula South suburb is nursing injuries after he was attacked by MDC-T’s National Assembly candidate for Pumula constituency Mr Albert Mhlanga and his children over a salary dispute.Mr Edson Mativenga, who was employed as a security guard at Mr Mhlanga’s car park in Pumula South, was severely assaulted by the former MP and his two children on Friday last week.
He had asked for his outstanding salary.
Narrating his ordeal, Mr Mativenga said Mr Mhlanga with his daughter and son assaulted him with a sjambok all over the body.
They also allegedly hit him with a chair on the forehead and poured hot porridge on his head.
“I was working at Mr Mhlanga’s car park in Pumula South as a security guard with two others. He told us that he would be paying us $60 every fortnight but we have always had problems getting our money on time. Last week on Friday morning I decided to go to his house to demand my money but he gave me excuses.
“While I was trying to explain to him that I needed the money, Mr Mhlanga ordered his son to lock the door so that he could fix me. He whipped me with a sjambok on my back before hitting me with a chair on the forehead.
“As if that was not enough his daughter poured hot porridge on my head. I leaped forward and the pot fell on Mr Mhlanga’s wife and she sustained burns on the face,” said Mr Mativenga.
He said Mr Mhlanga and his children could have killed him if it was not for the politician’s wife.
“His wife was against what they were doing but Mr Mhlanga and his children continued to assault me. When he realised that I was bleeding he unlocked the door and ordered me to get into the car. He took me to the police station.
“He made a false report that I had stolen diesel from the car park and said I was the one who tried to assault him. He told me that the police would not listen to me because I had broken the law by approaching him at his house,” said Mr Mativenga.
He said he eventually got his money from Mr Mhlanga’s wife.
“I went back to his house and told his children that I wanted money for medication and they gave me R20 for transport and his wife gave me my $60, part of which I used for treatment at the clinic.
“I later decided to quit the job because I could not stand the unfair treatment. That business gives him money on a daily basis but he always has excuses when it comes to paying workers,” said Mr Mativenga.
Contacted for comment Mr Mhlanga confirmed that he assaulted Mr Mativenga when he disturbed his privacy, and threatened to beat him up.
He, however, said the problem arose when some diesel was stolen at the car park and Mr Mativenga failed to explain.
“The issue was not about his salary but it was to do with 80 litres of diesel that was stolen from the car park and I reported the matter to the police. I told the police that Mativenga was my first suspect because the fuel was stolen while he was on duty.
“He came to my house threatening to beat me and I beat him up. I decided to withdraw the case but he never reported for work although I did not fire him,” said Mr Mhlanga.
Online Reporter