News / National
Zimbabwean woman assaulted by SA ex-minister Mduduzi Manana
07 May 2018 at 16:39hrs | Views
Convicted woman beater Mduduzi Manana faces fresh allegations of assault, crimen injuria and intimidation after allegedly trying to push his domestic worker down the stairs of his double-storey Fourways home yesterday.
Manana's former helper, Christine Wiro laid the charges against the former deputy-minister of higher education at the Douglasdale police station, northern Johannesburg last night - just three weeks into her job.
In September last year, Manana‚ pleaded guilty to assaulting three women and escaped a jail term as he opted to pay a fine. He had been sentenced to a R100 000 fine‚ or 12 months in prison‚ and 500 hours of community service in November.
He was ordered to attend an anger management programme and was also declared unfit to carry a firearm.
Wiro, 43, a Zimbabwean national, described Manana as "very scary and verbally abusive" at times.
In a statement made to police last night, which Sowetan has seen, Wiro said trouble began when she erroneously opened Manana's gate at an an up-market private residential estate for a wrong person thinking it was a guest the former minister was expecting for breakfast.
Manana, a member of parliament, had earlier asked her to prepare breakfast for two people as he was expecting a guest. When Wiro saw a car at the gate and a lady ringing the bell, she immediately opened it thinking it was Manana's breakfast guest.
This led to Manana throwing tantrums allegedly hurling insults as he pushed her while kicking her out of his house and threatening to deport her back to Zimbabwe.
Wiro told Sowetan that she needed to hold on to a staircase pillars to avoid falling down the stairs.
"He was shouting at me saying I can't open his gate for anyone without checking with him first. I apologised but he kept shouting at me telling me that he had connections and can deport me back to Zimbabwe."
She said working for Manana was characterised by long hours and verbal abuse at her at the snap of a finger.
"On my first day working for Manana, I didn't cook as he had told me not to cook but later shouted at me for not having cooked," Wiro said.
She added: "I didn't know when I'm supposed to knock off… I always had to wait for him to tell me that it was fine for me to go sleep. "
Wiro said at times she only was told to go sleep around 10 pm despite starting work at 6h30 in the morning.
Wiro's son, Adonia Langa, 23, said his mother contemplated quitting as early as day two at work due to verbal abuse.
"She just wanted to hang on so that she finishes one month and leave after getting her pay," Langa said.
Langa said he was happy that his mother had not suffered any extensive physical abuse at the hands of Manana.
The former deputy-minister could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was switched off and had not responded to text messages by the time of going to press.
Gauteng police spokeswoman, Mathapelo Peters said: " Douglasdale police are investigating a common assault case that was opened on Sunday. We are however not at liberty to disclose or confirm the identity… pending court processes."
Manana's former helper, Christine Wiro laid the charges against the former deputy-minister of higher education at the Douglasdale police station, northern Johannesburg last night - just three weeks into her job.
In September last year, Manana‚ pleaded guilty to assaulting three women and escaped a jail term as he opted to pay a fine. He had been sentenced to a R100 000 fine‚ or 12 months in prison‚ and 500 hours of community service in November.
He was ordered to attend an anger management programme and was also declared unfit to carry a firearm.
Wiro, 43, a Zimbabwean national, described Manana as "very scary and verbally abusive" at times.
In a statement made to police last night, which Sowetan has seen, Wiro said trouble began when she erroneously opened Manana's gate at an an up-market private residential estate for a wrong person thinking it was a guest the former minister was expecting for breakfast.
Manana, a member of parliament, had earlier asked her to prepare breakfast for two people as he was expecting a guest. When Wiro saw a car at the gate and a lady ringing the bell, she immediately opened it thinking it was Manana's breakfast guest.
This led to Manana throwing tantrums allegedly hurling insults as he pushed her while kicking her out of his house and threatening to deport her back to Zimbabwe.
Wiro told Sowetan that she needed to hold on to a staircase pillars to avoid falling down the stairs.
"He was shouting at me saying I can't open his gate for anyone without checking with him first. I apologised but he kept shouting at me telling me that he had connections and can deport me back to Zimbabwe."
She said working for Manana was characterised by long hours and verbal abuse at her at the snap of a finger.
"On my first day working for Manana, I didn't cook as he had told me not to cook but later shouted at me for not having cooked," Wiro said.
She added: "I didn't know when I'm supposed to knock off… I always had to wait for him to tell me that it was fine for me to go sleep. "
Wiro said at times she only was told to go sleep around 10 pm despite starting work at 6h30 in the morning.
Wiro's son, Adonia Langa, 23, said his mother contemplated quitting as early as day two at work due to verbal abuse.
"She just wanted to hang on so that she finishes one month and leave after getting her pay," Langa said.
Langa said he was happy that his mother had not suffered any extensive physical abuse at the hands of Manana.
The former deputy-minister could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was switched off and had not responded to text messages by the time of going to press.
Gauteng police spokeswoman, Mathapelo Peters said: " Douglasdale police are investigating a common assault case that was opened on Sunday. We are however not at liberty to disclose or confirm the identity… pending court processes."
Source - sowetanlive
