Female Workers in Asian-Owned Shops Allege Sexual Abuse in Siteki

An undisclosed number of women employed in Asian-owned shops have reported cases of sexual abuse to the ministries of commerce and labour.

According to ministry officials, the women allege they were subjected to sexual abuse in exchange for jobs, promotions, and salary increases. They further claimed to have faced other forms of physical abuse.

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This was revealed during a meeting with Asian employers from Siteki last Wednesday evening.

Lubombo Licensing Officer Siboniso Magagula said the meeting was called in response to the rising number of complaints reported to both the commerce and labour ministries in Siteki.

Magagula said he had personally received many calls from women who chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of their cases.

The anonymous callers alleged they were pressured into sexual relationships by their employers and supervisors of Asian origin. In exchange, they were promised permanent jobs and better salaries, promises that were never fulfilled.

Some women further reported being falsely accused of theft and then coerced into sexual acts with their employers to clear their names.

Magagula noted that many victims were too shy or embarrassed to report their cases to the police.

“We have called this meeting to engage you on such issues and allow you to speak out if you have had any form of abuse or intimidation in the hands of your employees,” Magagula said.

Labour Laws Breached

Labour Officer Kuseni Kunene confirmed that such allegations were not only a serious breach of labour laws but also criminal acts.

Kunene said his office had also received numerous complaints about underpayment of workers, employees being kept as temporary staff for years, and failure by some employers to remit provident fund contributions.

He announced that his office would conduct inspections across all shops in the region to verify these reports.

“Employers must put their house in order or risk having their licenses revoked for breaching labour laws,” Kunene warned.

He further urged employers to seek assistance if they did not know how to fully comply with the law.

Police Perspective

Constable Msimisi Matsebula from the Domestic Violence Department encouraged employers to also report if they were facing false allegations of abuse.

He cautioned that in some cases, employers had been coerced into paying “bribes” to avoid false accusations.

“The police do not take sides when investigating such cases. We ensure justice is served,” Matsebula said.

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