ZACHARIA Zitha (37) came to the People’s Paper with just one request – to save his six-year marriage, which was about to crumble because of R2 000!
Despite telling his wife he had not been paid all his wages, Zacharia’s wife Vumile (35) thought he had spent the money with the village’s loose women. Her bags were packed, and she was ready to leave.
That was until the SunTeam arrived at the couple’s home in Phiva, near Malelane, in Mpumalanga yesterday.
Zacharia said: “I worked for a contracter by the name of Bonginkosi Sambo. He hired me to install doors for the RDP houses he had built. However, he only paid me R2 000, which was half of what we agreed on. I was supposed to receive the rest a few days later.”
But three months went by and Zacharia had still not received his money.
Vumile began to suspect Zacharia was lying to her.
“My explanations fell on deaf ears. She thought I got the money months ago and that I spent it on a lover,” said Zacharia.
“Bonginkosi no longer take my calls. I met up with him and he told me he was drunk and could not speak to me. He promised to pay me over the weekend. I told my wife, but when the weekend went by, she began accusing me of cheating again and packed her bags.”
But after the SunTeam visited their home, Vumile’s trust in her husband was restored.
“I thought he spent the money on other women.But now I can see he was not paid because he called Daily Sun to help him get his money,” she said.
“My husband worked hard for that money, and the contractor should be ashamed for not paying him.”
Bonginkosi Sambo said there was a problem with Zacharia’s work sheet, but the issue had been resolved.
“I paid all his money yesterday afternoon. I was not avoiding him. He called me at the weekend, and I don’t take calls on Saturdays and Sundays.”
