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Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
THE Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Professor Paul Mavima has urged parents to vet domestic workers with his Ministry and the Zimbabwe Republic Police to curb criminals infiltrating their homes.
This comes after a maid, who police identified as Kimberly Ncube (19), on Monday kidnapped her employers’ one-year and eight-months-old son and drove off in their car.
Ncube was employed by a family from Bulawayo’s Paddonhurst suburb and started work last Saturday.
Following her arrest on Tuesday, the child was reconciled with his parents at around midday, 24 hours after he was kidnapped.
According to police sources, Ncube was recruited by an agency without identity particulars and she also gave them a fake home address.
Police said the family trusted the recruitment agency to have done due diligence and took the maid who started her job on Saturday.
Investigations to locate Ncube proved difficult because she had no particulars and the address she provided was fake.
Ncube was caught in Bulawayo’s Iminyela high-density suburb outside a house where she was spotted by members of the public. This was after an appeal by police for members of the public to help locate her and the child.
Prof Mavima said recruitment agencies must be registered with the Ministry of Labour for them to operate.
“Potential employers can check with our administrators at the Ministry’s offices. The agencies themselves have to be properly registered and those dealing with domestic workers should ensure the workers are properly trained and are credible people with good references,” he said.
Prof Mavima said this is meant to curb not only unfortunate cases like what happened to the couple in Bulawayo but also to prevent human trafficking.
“We want to make sure that the agencies are not involved in human trafficking when they recruit for international employers,” said Prof Mavima.
He said employers can also approach the police to vet domestic workers.
“People can ask for a police clearance from these persons or check with former employers,” said Prof Mavima.
National Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police were ready to assist people in vetting potential employees.
“As police we are ready and we have always urged members of the public to bring their domestic workers for vetting. This is to check their criminal records and where they come from,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said failure to vet domestic workers has resulted in people recruiting criminals.
“Over time, we have realised that some of them (domestic workers) are criminals who end up robbing, raping and stealing from their employers like what happened in Bulawayo,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said by law, all recruitment agencies are governed by the Labour Act.
“The agencies are governed by the Labour Act. All agencies who want to engage in the recruitment of people have to go through the Labour Ministry. If the recruitment agencies aren’t registered with the Ministry of Labour, they are committing an offence,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
The Labour Act under section 114 states: “No person shall conduct an employment agency, or charge or recover any payment or reward for or in connection with the procurement of employment through an employment agency; unless that employment agency is registered under this Act. No person shall hold himself out as conducting an employment agency unless that employment agency is registered under this Act.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said people have the right to demand recruitment agency certificates.
“The agency must have a recruitment certificate and the onus is upon them to prove that they’re registered,” said Ass Comm Nyathi.
Chronicle was inundated with messages of encouragement and sympathy for the parents of the toddler.
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