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Tafadzwa Zimoyo Senior Court Reporter—

Zimbabwe African Roots musician and sculptor Bryn Mteki yesterday dragged his former worker who had threatened him with violence and damaged his supermarket.

Mteki was allegedly threatened by Leo Mukototsi (36), who was asking for his outstanding wage of $270.

Mukototsi is alleged to have damaged Mteki’s supermarket door in the process.

He appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts charged with making threats and malicious damage to property.

Mukototsi was remanded out of custody on free bail to January 24 for trial.

Prosecuting, Mr Crispen Chikafu told the court that on January 10, Mukototsi went to Mteki’s supermarket to collect his salary balance amounting to $270 as he had previously worked for him.

Upon arrival, he was told that Mteki was busy with other clients and he waited.

After a few minutes, Mteki came to where Mukototsi was and said he should come back another day.

This did not go well with Mukototsi who later became violent, demanding his cash.

It is the State’s case that when Mteki noticed that the situation was beyond his control, he tried to close his shop so as to contain the situation.

In the process, Mukototsi then used his hands leading to the cracking of the door.

Mukototsi later threatened Mteki on several occasions and insulted him.

Mteki’s aide, Brian Chimedza reported the matter to the police leading to Mukototsi’s arrest.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Mteki was in court over allegedly being beaten by his employee on Christmas Day following an altercation over food that was being sold at their workplace.

The musician took his employee Tinashe Uta to the Mbare Magistrates’ Court where he was charged with assault.

Uta is also alleged to have given Emmanuel Mashaya a thorough hiding for trying to intervene during the scuffle.

He denied the charges before magistrate Ms Shelly Zvenyika who remanded him out of custody to February 2.

It is the State’s case that on December 25 last year at Saratoga Nite Club in Machipisa Shopping Centre, Highfield in Harare, Uta was drunk and he started eating food which was for sale.

It was reported Mteki told him to stop eating the food that was meant for sale, raising the anger of Uta.

At the height of the argument, it is alleged, Uta slapped Mteki and plucked some of his dreadlocks.

Mashaya tried to stop him, to no avail as he went on to assault Mteki with an empty bottle and he also bit his finger.

Mashaya sustained some injuries and the medical affidavits would be produced in court.