AN 86-year-old Vainona domestic worker was found dead in her employer’s backyard cabin on Tuesday.
Margaret Muzanago Sibanda, who has been working for the
Berry family for 57 years, was reported to have been denied access to health
care and ablution facilities as well as payment for years.
She was found dead by the Berrys’ gardener only identified
as Simon clad in her uniforms.
In ire, the Muzanago family dumped her belongings in
protest against the alleged abuse of Gogo Margaret under the mercy of her white
man Paul Simon Berry.
Reports say Gogo Margaret had one child Christopher
Muzanago who also worked as a gardener at Berry’s house in Vainona.
He died at the same house in 2012.
The late Gogo Margaret is also said to have refused to
remove Christopher’s belongings from the room he used to occupy over unpaid
salaries.
Berry told H-Metro that he was not in a position to give
his side of the story referring questions to one of his relative only
identified as Mary.
“Sorry we are mourning, get in touch with Mary,” said
Berry.
Muzanago family spokesperson Leticia Muzanago, 32, narrated
to H-Metro the ill-treatment Gogo Margaret under went as a maid since 1964 when
she started working for Berry family.
“Gogo died a poor person under the roof of a rich family,”
said Muzanago.
“She passed on wearing her kitchen uniform in a cabin room
located between the two better houses belonging to Berry and his son.
“She started working for the Berry family in 1964 in Gweru
and when her first employer who happen to be the present Berry’s parents died
she was taken to Vainona in Harare in 2008 to work for the son Paul Simon
Berry.
“Gogo had agreed with her employer that she wanted them to
keep her salaries till they buy a house for her.
“Paul promised to pay for a Gweru residential stand three
years ago but nothing materialized.
“She was never taken to medical doctors but had to continue
working while sick.
“I visited her many times and discover that she was no
longer had energy to visit a toilet which some meters away from her cabin.
“She had to do a bucket system till her time of death.
“When she died they were quick to call a funeral parlour to
remove the body without engaging any of us,” said Muzanago.
When H-Metro visited the house, one Mary was ordering
Muzanago to hire a lorry and remove all belongings of Gogo Margaret and that of
her late son Christopher Muzanago and take them to their home village in
Chirumhanzu.
“Hire a lorry and collect everything of Margaret and that
of her late son,” said Mary.
In an interview, Mary told H-Metro that Margaret was very
lucky to have worked for a caring family who would never do anything against
her wishes.
“Margaret refused to go to the doctor so we always had to
organise a house visit which was very costly,” said Mary.
“Margaret was well looked after by my partner’s brother
Paul.
“Paul organised his maid to cook for Margaret every day.
“I tried to persuade Margaret to move into a room where her
late son Christopher used to stay which was close to the toilet and shower in
the staff quarters but she refused.
“In that room there is her double bed which was given to
her by Paul’s mother and a cupboard which belonged to Christopher.
“When Paul’s mother died she should have gone back to
Chilimanzi but she would not go.
“When I met her about 11 years ago, she would spend all day
in the kitchen roasting chicken and boiling water.
“The kitchen is tiny and there was no space for anyone
else! I ended up persuading Peter to buy a small stove which we put in the
cottage.
“However thanks to Covid Margaret was told to stay in her
cottage,” said Mary refusing to answer on salaries issue.
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