MAGISTRATE GIVES GUARD A HOT FOOD BATH
ACTING Randburg Magistrate Lindiwe Dube caused a stir two weeks ago when she allegedly assaulted a security guard at the law house.
The officer’s sin? Preventing Dube’s messenger from entering the court building with a food parcel, as stipulated by the court’s rules.
Procedurally, employees should go to the main entrance to fetch such deliveries and it is alleged Zanelinsizwa Zikalala’s insistence on following procedure literally landed him in hot water – Dube allegedly dumped the steaming hot lunch on him.
This after she stormed to the entrance hall and allegedly unleashed a verbal torrent on the hapless Zikalala. She allegedly said:
“You ’ re nothing. You’re stupid. You’re uneducated. You are a security guard and that is why you’ll always remain a security guard.”
Dube then allegedly hurled the grub at him, soiling his uniform.
Court officials this week tried to downplay the incident, saying the matter was resolved a few days later.
They say a meeting was held between Zikalala’s supervisor Samuel Nkosi, acting court manager Vusi Ntuli and the warring parties.
Dube apparently apologised and claimed she’d been experiencing emotional challenges at the time.
Ntuli told Sunday World that security cameras at the court had not captured the incident and refused to comment further.
Zikalala says: “I’ve put this whole incident behind me. It has been resolved by my manager and senior management at the court, so I have nothing further to say. I’ve forgiven her even though she didn’t apologise to me personally.”
Another court official says Zikalala was prevented from laying a charge against Dube.
On Friday, Dube instructed security guards to bar Sunday World access into her office.
Nkosi says: “The whole incident has now been blown out of proportion by people pursuing their own agendas against the [acting] magistrate.
“It never ever occurred at all. There was never a case of her assaulting him [Zikalala]. What took place was an exchange of unpleasant words.”
He says he would have escalated the matter to a higher authority “if something more severe than a heated exchange of unpleasant words had happened”.
Dube joined the Randburg Magistrates ’ Court last year, after serving as an advocate at the Johannesburg High Court.