The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
THE emergence of bogus employment agents who flight adverts in newspapers and on social media has seen some people falling victim to criminals who masquerade as domestic workers, it has been established.
The offences often committed range from theft of money and infants, staged break-ins and passing information to robbery syndicates.
This has brought to the fore the need for employers to conduct in-depth pre-employment checks, including criminal record checks.
The employment agents recruiting the said ‘domestic workers’ charge anything between US$15 and US$30 to link an employer with one.
However, in some cases, the agents fail to deliver on their word and the prospective employer totally losses out.
In cases where they deliver, some employers have not been so lucky.
“Immediately after being employed, they become moles of the dangerous criminals, supplying their bosses’ banking and business information, their movements, and also advising when to strike.
“Some of the so-called domestic workers are hard core criminals who end up staging or facilitating break-ins,” said a source within the police force.
In Manicaland, several such cases have been reported to the police and were successfully prosecuted.
In 2019, a Rusape domestic worker, Elvas Mukono, axed his two employers in cold blood after they had delayed paying him.
Tabeth Mashizha allegedly murdered her employer and robbed her of US$6 000 before fleeing to Mozambique. She was eventually arrested at a night vigil in Zvimba.
During the same year, a Chipinge family was left traumatised after their maid, Virginia Sithole, stole their infant.
Sithole was later arrested after detectives made a follow-up to her Chiredzi home.
In another case, a Mutare woman, Loveness Chidakwa, was arrested for allegedly stealing property belonging to her Australian-based employer, Victoria Murimba.
Chidhakwa grabbed Murimba’s property and US$1150 without her consent.
Another Mutare woman, Mrs Maria Spanos (77) of Yeovil, was murdered using a machete by her gardener, Phillip Chinhara (31), who went on to sexually assault her corpse.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxon Chananda said employers must do full evaluation and pre-employment checks before engaging domestic helpers.
“You should ask yourself how well you know your domestic worker. How many employers know the addresses, next of kin and national identity numbers of their domestic workers?
“Rather than merely responding to social media adverts or relying on the word of the employment agent, employers must thoroughly interview the applicants, find where they have worked before, why they left and contact the previous employers.
“Thorough background checks are required before inviting someone into your home,” said Inspector Chananda.
“We have received cases of murder, theft and rape, among other heinous crimes, committed by domestic workers, although we do not get such cases frequently,” said Inspector Chananda.
Domestic Workers Association of Zimbabwe (DWAZ) director, Ms Mendy Lerato-Lusaba said bogus agents are exploiting both domestic workers and their employers.
“There are bogus employment agents making a quick buck by exploiting domestic workers.
“They offer them employment opportunities but sometimes short-change both the employer and the domestic worker.
“It is even worse when one engages a bogus agent who is in fact a thief or part of a criminal gang,” she said.
Ms Lusaba said domestic workers and employers must check whether the agent they are dealing with is registered with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare according to the law.
“The employer should get police clearance before engaging a domestic worker. When the worker steals, they should report to the police. This is the only way to protect the next person who may want to engage that worker.
“Unfortunately domestic workers who steal are often fired without being reported to the police. So you find that after stealing from this household, they go to the next household, steal again and getting fired, thereby creating a vicious cycle.
“No matter how petty the theft is, it should be reported to the police. That criminal record will help the next employer,” said Ms Lusaba.
She also said DWAZ has a compliant employment agency that links employers and domestic workers for free.
Ms Lusaba went on to speak against the abuse of domestic workers.
“The various forms of abuse taking place away from the public eye include physical, psychological, sexual, non-payment of wages and long working hours with no off days,” she said, adding that employers should treat domestic workers fairly.
Ms Edith Ruzawi, a domestic worker in Rusape, said some domestic helpers who are unaware of their rights are severely ill-treated by their bosses.
