Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
A BULAWAYO man is seeking justice after he was molested by a male health worker from Mzingwane Health Centre recently and believes the case has been swept under the carpet as the police report he made is not being acted upon.
The accused is alleged to have sent his victim US$30 to spoil himself after the attack.
Efforts to get information on the case have also hit a brick wall as the police at Esigodini Police Station where the matter was reported have allegedly become evasive and failed to produce the case number when the family confronted them.
Matabeleland South Police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena said she was not aware of the case.
“I am not aware of that case yet. I will have to consult Esigodini police where the matter was reported and get details on Monday,” she said.
According to a witness in the case, who is also the brother of the victim, the dreadful event is alleged to have occurred on the night of 5 September 2023 at the clinic where the victim had gone to fetch his goods.
“My brother asked me to accompany him to the clinic to collect his belongings he had left when he had to go to a different station. I accompanied him but questioned why he wanted to be accompanied as he could do it alone. He then opened up to me saying there was someone at work who was making sexual advances at him, and sending him messages so he was scared to visit the clinic alone considering that he was told to come at 6pm to collect his clothes,” said the brother.
The alleged perpetrator was taken aback as to why the victim had come with another person. After collecting the clothes, the accused is said to have called the victim to another room.
“I followed them and tried to listen to their conversation from outside the door only to see this man having removed his trousers, and left with boxer shorts. He was saying ngipha khonokho okukhona I will give you everything you want and my brother was refusing. I stormed in and asked why he was half naked and he dismissed me,” he said.
Seeing that his first attempt had not yielded anything, he made another move calling the victim for the second time, to sign for the money.
“He called my brother again. I also followed a while after and stood at the door again and this time he had closed it. I got there and heard my brother pleading with the man not to do what he wanted to do and at this point, I kicked open the door only to find him having stripped my brother while he was half naked touching my brother’s private parts and kissing him,” he said.
A fight ensued after that which also attracted people including staff at the clinic, school officials and others who were nearby. As a result, a glass door and test tubes at the clinic were destroyed.
The perpetrator disappeared into the night, naked.
Esigodini Police Station officers attended the scene and the brothers also had their statements recorded at the police station.
“We contacted them intending to establish if the man had been arrested and they could not say. We then asked for the case number and progress regarding the matter, we were tossed from one police officer to another and we are beginning to think the issue was swept under the carpet. The perpetrator is out there and we want justice served.
“Last week the police called my brother and asked us to come to Esigodini and make new statements, they want him to repeat what was documented earlier. But my brother has not done that because of the trauma and pain he feels, reliving an ordeal he would rather not,” he added.
Sunday News visited the clinic and found the accused away. However, some sources close to the matter said it had indeed happened.
“We came here and there was a commotion, they were fighting after the accusation of sexual assault. The police are aware so are many at the clinic. We feel this is not the first time this has happened to male workers who come here. We now fear that students may have also been affected but cases were not reported,” said a source.
The accused is alleged to have sent his victim US$30 hush money after the attack before switching his mobile phone. Efforts to get a comment from the accused were fruitless. — @NyembeziMu
