Of Tibone, lost passports and Zim farm workers

| Friday July 27, 2007 00:00

 

'Life on (Labour and Home Affairs Minister Charles Tibone) Tibone's farm is not a joke my friend. All you have for your food is bokomo mealie-meal. No salt. No tea. No relish,' explains the Zimbabwean man.

 
'No relish,' agrees another one, looking away dejectedly.
'You cannot even milk the cattle for relish,' interjects the first man.
'And you can sometimes go for some time without seeing your pay,' adds the second man.

 
Minister Tibone runs a farm about 21km northwest of Sekoma in Ngwaketse West, according to sources. The men claim that they worked at Tibone's farm until about a few weeks ago when they got into trouble with Botswana police officers.
Killiam Mudongo Manya, Tenotenda Mageza, Western Mabarani and Brian Handoyachepa have a bit of a problem. They are currently incarcerated after their capture at a roadblock where they were arrested for travelling without passports.

They allege that when Tibone hired them, workers at his farm took away their passports so they could not travel or leave the farm.
They say after a few months in what they call 'deplorable conditions' they started looking for piece jobs. 

It is then that they called Dr Jaone Jayson Mazebe Sebina, a veterinary surgeon who they had met at Tibone's farm when he was attending to the minister's cattle late last year.

According to a statement by Sebina, delivered at Mogoditshane Station as part of the ongoing investigations by Moshupa police officers, he assisted the men by offering them refuge after persistent pleas.

'These gentlemen requested assistance temporary employment/piece jobs to do fencing elsewhere.  They claimed that their employer is neglecting them by not expeditiously and regularly paying them their monthly wages,' states the sworn statement.
'In June 2007 I finally succumbed to the pressure and allowed them a visit to my cattle post, 8km east of Mosolotshane (Mahalapye West area),' says Sebina in the statement.

The men attended a few chores at Sebina's farm for the three days after which he paid them P1,500. As they were travelling through Shoshong they were caught for travelling without passports. 'I was approached by Shoshong, police about the matter and I availed Hon Tibone's cellular telephone number, as he is their employer and held their passports in his possession,' continues the statement.

 
Details of what really took place between Tibone and the Shoshong police officers remains sketchy but Sebina told police that officers in Shoshong reported that Tibone had allegedly promised to fax copies of the passports but ultimately reneged on his promise.

 
The men were released from Shoshong.  Sometime around  July 1, as they were travelling through Moshupa, on their way to the west, they were caught once again.
The men have been in police custody ever since. Thapelo Ngiye, Station Commander at Moshupa Police Station, confirms that the men have been in custody. The men were brought before court on July 24 for mention. They insist that Tibone has their passports. Tibone refutes the allegations.

'I do not know those people. I never met those men anywhere. I hear they are out there making allegations against me that they were my employees and that I have their passports but I do not have any connection with them whatsoever,' Tibone told Mmegi, adding that he did not want to answer any more questions.

 
'We are investigating the case. We registered the case in court and it is true that the men are saying Tibone has their documents. I am still investigating whether these allegations are true or not.

 
I cannot reveal much until we have reached a conclusion to our investigations and the case has been brought to its logical conclusion,' explains Ngiye.
As part of their investigations, three police officers from Moshupa arrived in Gaborone on Wednesday afternoon with the four Zimbabwean men.
They went to AutoWorld garage in Gaborone West Industrial. They are said to have hit a blank in their search for one of Tibone's close relatives.

 
At around 3pm Mmegi followed the van as it meandered through the streets of Gaborone, northwards to the headquarters of the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs. Workers and street hawkers looked on as four Zimbabwean men disembarked from a Botswana Police van in the car park of the ministry's headquarters.
 As they dismounted the canopied bakkie, they stood still while two police officers disentangled the men's hands from handcuffs. They slowly made their way up to the fourth floor.

 
They went through the reception area, stepping on the mat bearing a, 'Welcome to the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs' in black letters against grey.
The senior officer, with a cap over his eyes, led the group. They stood at the door to Tibone's office. A lady came out and pointed to a different office. They walked through the corridors as curious workers looked on.
The group walked into a large boardroom in which there is a thick-wood table with leather armchairs.

 
At 3.56pm, Tibone, wearing a dark suit and a slight smile, welcomed the men. 'Hello, gentlemen,' he said quickly as the men settled into the chairs.
He called the senior officer and the two men walked deeper into the offices. They spent about 15 minutes away after which they emerged again and went into the boardroom.
Behind the door, Tibone asked, as chairs moved, 'Gentlemen, what's the story?'
More unintelligible conversations unfolded before Tibone said loudly. 'I do not know these others. I know Brian (Handoyama).

'He worked for me but after he absconded from the farm, I do not want to have anything to do with him. I am quite happy to have him go anywhere. I mean from now on he does not have any connection with me whatsoever,' Tibone declared.
Throughout the entire time Tibone was doing more of the questioning, while every now and then one of the Zimbabwean men would protest.
Tibone said that he did not know if any travel documents were ever taken from any of his workers. 'I would not know why anyone would do that,' he said.  And then the door swung open.

 
The men walked out.
The Zimbabwean men wore sullen faces. They went down the stairs, and out to the car park.  As the captives held out their arms for the handcuffs,  one officer laughed shaking his head at the men 'Why were you so quiet?' he asked.
'No, you are the ones who should have been questioning him not us.  You went there to investigate the case.

 
'He was not there to investigate us,' remarked one of the Zimbabweans as he jumped into the van.
As the van sped off on its way to prison, one of the men held his head in his hands.
The others shook their heads dejectedly, staring out the tiny windows as if in desperate imploration of everyone milling around the streets.