A source close to investigations said four women had since
filed rape charges against Dinhidza.
According to the source one of the victims is a 29-year-old
woman who is employed as a packer.
“Sometime in 2017 the 29-year-old woman went to look for a
job at Lobels Biscuits Company at the time Dinhidza was the Human Resources
Manager and he recruited her.
“After that he approached her demanding payment for
employing her. At first she turned down his request, but he threatened to expel
her, forcing her to give in and slept with him,” the source said.
The source added: “Sometime in October this year the woman
said Dinhidza called her to his office and demanded to have sex with her and
she did not resist because she was afraid of losing her job.”
The woman in question reported the rape incidents at Kumalo
Police station after protests were recently staged against Dinhidza over
allegations of nepotism and sexual harassment.
Another alleged rape victim is a 33-year-old woman who
resides in Nkulumane suburb.
It is said the victim did not report for duty for two
consecutive days, and when she reported for duty she informed her immediate
supervisor who allegedly turned her away.
Lobels workers demonstrate outside the Belmont factory
“Being desperate for her job she approached Dinhidza who
told her that if she wanted to save her job she must have sex with him and she
agreed before they had sex in his office and her job was saved,” said the
source.
The victim reported the alleged rape at Donnington Police
Station on Tuesday this week.
Another victim, a 40-year-old woman from Entumbane suburb
was allegedly sexually attacked by the boss when he called her to his office
and asked her if she wanted to be employed permanently.
“He promised the complainant that if she wants to be
employed as a permanent worker she has to sleep with him and she agreed before he
drove to a lodge in the city centre and had sex with her.”
On another occasion they reportedly had sex in his car near
the company premises.
To her disappointment Dinhidza reportedly never fulfilled
his promise.
On 7 December the woman who joined a protest against all
forms of abuse later filed a rape case against Dinhidza at Bulawayo Central
Police Station.
The fourth victim is a 37-year-old woman who is employed as
a machine operator.
She fell prey to the attacker after she approached him to
have her husband who had been fired to be reinstated.
“She approached Dinhidza in his office and pleaded with him
to have her husband re-hired but Dinhidza told her that he could only be
reinstated on condition that she had sex with him and she bowed down to the
demands and had sex with him. After that the victim’s husband was re-hired. On
another occasion he picked her up at the company premises and had sex with her
at a lodge.”
The woman reported the alleged rape cases at Donnington
Police Station on 7 December 2022 leading to the arrest of Dinhidza who is now
awaiting his day in court.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi confirmed his arrest.
“I can confirm that we received several reports that range
from abuse of office and sexual abuse of females and one of the suspects who is
accused of sexual abuse has been arrested and is helping police with
investigations.”
President of Biscuits Manufacturing Industry Workers Union
who is also Lobels Workers Union representative Moses Matupire said the strain
between workers and the embattled COO emerged when they advocated for a Sexual
Harassment Policy to be put in place but Dinhidza allegedly refused.
“As the workers we have noted with concern that there were
many issues of sexual harassment which were happening in the company but they
were going unreported as workers feared losing their jobs. We pushed for the
sexual harassment policy to be in place but the COO was the stumbling block,”
said Matupire.
He went on and said Dhinhidza was employing his relatives
while turning a blind eye to the employees with proper qualifications for the
job.
He said workers were also victimised after a robbery case
that recently happened at the company, when money started to be deducted from
their salaries.
“He deducted 15 percent from our salaries without notice.
We work 12 hours without overtime and after that the workers are given US$140
per month.
“He decided to take the company out of the bakery sector to
operate without a collective bargaining agreement. We complained to the
National Employment Council (Nec) until a decision was made on 13 October to
have the company reinstated as a bakery,” he said.
The alleged rape victims and about 496 aggrieved employees
are being represented by their lawyers Task Vhiki and Mary Nyika of Macharaga
Law Chambers.
Meanwhile, about 500 employees from the company were on
Tuesday blocked by the police from staging a demonstration against Dinhidza,
whom they accuse of many wrongdoings including sexual harassment, abuse of the
office and nepotism. B Metro
0 comments:
Post a Comment