Fungai Jachi Court Correspondent
A Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) boss was yesterday acquitted of indecent assault charges by a Mbare magistrate. Patrick Ndhlovu (52), who is a ZPC shift charge superintendent based at Harare Power Station, was being accused of sexually harassing a female subordinate.
Ndhlovu had denied the allegations arguing that he had only poked the woman’s shoulder to get her attention but had not grabbed her waist as she claimed.
He had also argued that there were people at his workplace who wanted his downfall hence coming up with such malicious allegations against him.
Despite having dismissed Ndhlovu’s application for discharge at the close of the State case last month saying that he had to be put to his defence, Ms Kudzai Zihove said there was more truth in Ndhlovu’s version of events than the woman’s story.
In her ruling, Ms Zihove said the prosecutor Ms Yvonne Gurira, had failed to prove a case against Ndhlovu.
“The State failed to rebut what the accused had said in his defence. It is clear that the accused only poked the complainant to gain her attention since she was in a noisy area.
“What the accused did was not degrading to the complainant in any manner and this court finds him not guilty and is acquitted,” she said.
The alleged facts were that Ndhlovu, while in the boiler section had stealthily approached the woman from behind and grabbed her by the waist without her consent.
It was alleged that when the woman asked him why he had acted in such a manner, he responded by laughing.
It was the State’s case that the woman reported the matter to the police leading to Ndhlovu’s arrest.