Gibson Mhaka
A dispute between a Chinese mine owner and his two workers over outstanding salaries nearly reached a tragic end when the former hit one of the workers with a shovel twice on his left hand before he turned to another and violently kicked him on his private parts.
Hang Zhongyi (60) director of Fools Mine in Hope Fountain on the outskirts of Bulawayo assaulted his mine supervisor Tatenda Mangena (30) and mine attendant Constan Mhasa (31).
Circumstances are that on 16 January 2021 at around 9AM Zhongyi picked up a misunderstanding with both Mangena and Mhasa over outstanding salaries.
It is reported that at the height of the dispute Zhongyi armed himself with a shovel which he used to strike Mangena twice on his hand and Mangena was seriously injured following the brutal attack.
After attacking Mangena, Zhongyi turned to Mhasi who he assaulted with fists several times on the face. As if the attack on the face was not enough, he violently kicked him on his private parts.
The duo went and reported the matter to the police leading to Zhongyi’s arrest and his subsequent appearance in court charged with two counts of assault.
Zhongyi who pleaded guilty to both counts was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of $10 000 by Bulawayo magistrate Stephen Ndlovu.
In Mitigation Zhongyi pleaded with the court to be lenient with him saying he was of old age and that when he committed the offence, he was under pressure.
It also emerged in court that following his arrest it was discovered that he had flouted the country’s immigration rules.
It arose that on the day Zhongyi was arrested, immigration officials acting on that information, had developed an interest to enquire on his legal status in Zimbabwe.
Upon verification of his passport, it was discovered that his visitors’ entry certificate which was issued at Robert Mugabe International Airport on 12 November 2020 had expired on 12 December 2020 and had not been renewed.
Following that realisation, he was taken to court where he was charged for Contravening Section 29 (1) (b) as read with Section 29 (2a) of the Immigration Act Chapter 4:02 (enter or remain in Zimbabwe illegally). For the offence he was again spared jail sentence when he was made to pay a fine of $5 000.
