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Fungai Jachi Court Correspondent
A Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) boss based at the firm’s Harare Power Station yesterday appeared in court for allegedly sexually harassing a female subordinate after grabbing her waist at their workplace. Patrick Ndhlovu (52) of number 92 Rushpeak Debyshire, Waterfalls appeared before Mbare magistrate Ms Kudzai Zihove charged with indecent assault.Ndhlovu who is the ZPC shift charge superintendent denied the allegations and was remanded to November 2 for trial continuation. In his defence, Ndhlovu argued that he had only poked the woman on her shoulders and had not grabbed her waist like she was claiming. “She was in the boiler section instead of the turbine section where she works.
“There was a lot of noise in the room and she was putting on earplugs. So I walked up to her from behind and poked her shoulder to draw her attention. “I did not grab her waist,” he said. However, the woman insisted that Ndhlovu had intentionally grabbed her waist and she would know if he had just poked her shoulder.
“He uses his position in the company to sexually harass female subordinates. “He threatens to fire anyone whom he harasses, that is why some women are afraid to report him,” she said. Prosecutor Ms Yvonne Gurira alleged that on July 20 this year, at Zimbabwe Power Station, the woman was in the boiler room washing her mutton cloth.
It is alleged that Ndhlovu, who was standing behind the woman grabbed her by the waist without her consent. The court heard that when the woman asked him why he had acted in such a manner he responded by laughing. It is the State’s case that the woman reported the matter to the police leading to Ndhlovu’s arrest.
Online Reporter