Unpaid domestic claims she was threatened with firearm

A 50-year-old mother of three is still traumatised after her former employer apparently pointed a firearm at her and refused to pay her wages.

She has opened a case of pointing a firearm against him and is claiming unfair dismissal at the Small Claims Court.

On August 14, at around 8.50am, she stood at her usual spot on Partridge Avenue in the hope she would finally find employment. Her prayers were answered, or so she thought, when a car driven by a man stopped at the side of the road.

“The man said he needed a domestic worker and was willing to pay R200 a day,” the woman said.

On arrival at a townhouse complex on Partridge Avenue, the woman started with her allocated duties.

“I washed and ironed three loads of laundry, cleaned the three-bedroom house, washed the walls and fed the pets. The parrot even bit my finger,” she added.

But at the end of the day there was no remuneration for her efforts. “He told me he’d pay me at the end of the week and I agreed.”

The 50-year-old said she clocked in at 6.30am on a daily basis and knocked off after 6pm for five days, with no pay.

“On Friday he told me to come back on the Saturday, as there was something he wanted to teach me,” she said.

”I arrived at 7.30am and started with my daily duties. “He was shouting and telling me he was the boss. At around 5pm he told me his friends were waiting for him and he needed to go, so I should finish.”

Before she knew it, she was accused of stealing a shirt. While she was packing up, she felt a cold object against her spine – it was a gun being cocked by her former employer.

“With the gun to my back he led me to the kitchen and told me to sign a piece of paper. I refused. On it he had written that he had paid me and only owed me a balance of R400, which was not true. He cocked the gun and out of fear for my life, I signed the paper.”

The mother was then escorted out of the house and premises with the gun still in her back. Still no pay was given.

The woman has three children, aged 26, 21 and 16, two boys and a girl. The first two obtained bursaries and are studying at Wits University. The one is studying mechanical engineering, while the second born and only girl, is studying forensics.

Her youngest is currently in America representing South Africa in some sort of mathematics competition.

The widow’s husband was shot and killed in 2000 while at his workplace. “My children are brilliant and intelligent, just like their father,” she explained.

“I do not ever want to go back to being a domestic worker. I almost died in a stranger’s house. I would rather just sell clothes,” she pointed out.

Kempton Park SAPS spokesman, Capt Jethro Mtshali, said the matter had been investigated. “It will be referred to the senior public prosecutor to make a decision whether the alleged suspect can be charged or not,” he said.

At the time of going to press, the woman did not know where she was going to sleep and claimed she was no longer welcome at MES following the incident.

“My former employee went to MES and spoke about me. I was told I could not stay there anymore and slept at the police station.”

Aloma Swanepoel of MES Kempton Park refuted these allegations. “I would like to confirm that the allegations of not being welcome, is untrue, and she has not been banned from the shelter.

“We have a very formal process in dealing with our clients when it gets to banning. She is at all times welcome to discuss the matter further with anyone from the management team,” said Swanepoel.

The woman posted a letter of demand to her former employer, affording him 14 days from receipt of her letter to settle her claim. After 14 days she will report to the clerk of the court in the hopes that a summons will be drawn up.

EXPRESS has in its possession a copy of the demand signed by the former employer’s wife, where she wrote: We don’t agree to what is said on this paper.

She needs a lawyer who is willing to assist her. You may email tumelot@caxton.co.za to get in touch with her.