Court orders ZRP to pay man ZWL$400k for assault o...

Court orders ZRP to pay man ZWL$400k for assault over curfew violation

Philemon Jambaya

A Chitungwiza court has ordered the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to pay ZWL$400 000 as compensation to a man who was severely assaulted and tortured in 2021 for allegedly violating curfew regulations.

Edcock Dube (46) of Chitungwiza, instituted legal action against Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Hon. Kazembe Kazembe and ZRP Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga and a police officer only identified as Chafunga, demanding ZWL$1 million as compensation for pain and suffering and embarrassment and humiliation after he was subjected to unlawful assault, torture and inhumane and degrading treatment at the hands of some ZRP officers, who included Chafunga.

Dube had been arrested by ZRP officers on 25 February, 2021 while on his way home from work for allegedly violating curfew regulations imposed by government in 2020 in a bid to stop the unnecessary movement of people so as to curb the spread of Covid-19.

He was taken to St Mary’s Police Station, where he was detained in the cells while Chafunga handcuffed him to a pole and assaulted him with a truncheon on his head and hands.

As a result of the assault, Dube ended up nursing a fractured finger and sustained injuries to his eye and thereby limiting his eyesight. Tinashe Chinopfukutwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, on 29 April, 2021, helped Dube to sue Kazembe, Matanga and Chafunga for damages at the Chitungwiza Civil Magistrates’ Court.

After presiding over the trial of Kazembe, Matanga and Chafunga, Chitungwiza Provincial Magistrate Sheunesu Matova recently ordered the trio to pay ZWL$400 000 in damages to Dube after holding them liable for the violation of the Chitungwiza resident’s fundamental rights.