HARARE - A Harare magistrate has jailed a 24-year-old Chinese woman for three years for attempting to run over her worker with a vehicle following a labour dispute.

Magistrate Esthere Chivasa sentenced Li Mengheng to four years in prison before suspending a year on condition of good behaviour within five years of her release.

The court was told Mengheng had a misunderstanding with Emmanuel Mashevedze on August 30, last year.

According to State papers, Mashevedze was a human resources manager at Mengheng’s steel manufacturing company, Geili Investments.

He was dismissed from employment and reported the case to the Labour Court. On the day in question, Mashevedze had visited the company’s offices in Workington, Harare to serve Mengheng with papers from the Labour Court.

A misunderstanding ensued between the two resulting in Mengheng assaulting Mashevedze, the court was told. Mashevedze left the company premises, but Mengheng followed him driving in a Nissan truck and attempted to run him over three times.

Mashevedze managed to flee and proceeded to report the matter to the police, leading to Mengheng’s arrest.