By Beaven Dhliwayo.
Harare, Zimbabwe. (News of The South) – The Chinese people in Zimbabwe are bringing a new form of colonisation by exposing their Zimbabwean employees to harsh working conditions thereby increasing work related stress in the country, Deputy Harare Mayor Enock Mupamawonde has said.
Mupamawonde made the remarks whilst addressing delegates at the commemorations of World Day for Safety and Health at Work in Harare which went under the theme “Reinforcing OSH Preventive Culture through the Optimum Gathering and Utilisation of Data”.
He said the Chinese people are abusing their Zimbabwean workers and nothing is being done by responsible authorities to address the crisis which has culminated in a new type of colonisation.
“We are receiving a number of reports of excessive abuse from Chinese employees who work in Chinese owned companies and in their homes as domestic workers.
“They expose fellow Zimbabweans to long working hours without compensation. Domestic workers, mostly young women are beaten and nothing is being done to protect the welfare of the Chinese employees,” he said.
He also said that it seems the Chinese people who are abusing Zimbabweans have a form of immunity to do what they deem necessary.
“Even if the matter is reported to the police they (Chinese) are not arrested and they get away with the abuses as if nothing has happened at all.
“If you report abuse from a Chinese employer the case does not move the way it does when you report a fellow Zimbabwean businessman and this must end,” he said.
Mupamawonde said they are putting pressure on the responsible Government authorities so that this new type of colonialism is ended.
“We will engage government so that they deal with the Chinese who came to the country to boost industrialisation but end up abusing employees.
“The abuses expose workers to work-related stress and affect employees’ health and well-being in a number of ways, including – headaches, indigestion, tiredness, slow reactions, shortness of breath, and over the longer term, physical illness.
“This will lead to drop in work performance and this can ruin the economy of the country,” he said.
He added that the Chinese are colonizing Zimbabwe economically and as Zimbabweans we denounce all forms of colonialism.
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