The Chronicle

MIDLANDS, Saturday, April 6, 1968 — An African who had several wounds visible on his head and body, who cannot walk or stand straight, and whose upper legs were swathed in bandages, today told Gwelo magistrate Mr Ivor Waldeck, that he had received these injuries during a prolonged beating he was given by his Coloured employer.

He was Dennis Ndhlovu. His employer, Peter Carlsson, was charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

To this he pleaded not guilty, but to a further charge of assaulting Ndhlovu’s mother he pleaded guilty.

Ndhlovu told the court that on February 19 he admitted to Carlsson that he had stolen money from his home.

He said that Carlsson, who had an axe, threatened to kill him with it.

Carlsson then tied his wrists and ankles with fibre, threw him on his stomach and beat him with a stick until the stick broke.

He then got another stick and continued beating him.

“I was hit all over for a long time, but I think it was less than an hour.

“When he used the second stick I was aware that I was being beaten, but could not feel any more pain”, said Ndhlovu.

After the beating, he alleged, he was tied to the back of a truck, beaten again later, and then taken to his kraal, where Carlsson beat his mother with a stick.

He was then taken to Carlsson’s store and tied to a tree. A chief ’s messenger untied him and took him away for the night, but the following morning returned him to Carlsson who told him to stay in a hut, which he did.

Ndhlovu at first said in evidence that he was locked away in a room for a week, but later amended this to say that he was told to stay in the hut, but that it was not locked and he could go out of it whenever he wanted to.

At the time he said he could not see properly, nor could he stand up straight or walk without a stick. He was found there by the police on February 27 and taken to hospital.

The previous night, he said, Carlsson had taken him to Lower Gwelo Mission, where he was given an injection.

“I was told I would have to stay in the room until the accused got his money back — until I died if necessary”.