Chitungwiza Civil Magistrates Court has ordered Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to pay ZWL400 000 as compensation to a man, who was severely assaulted and tortured in 2021 for allegedly violating curfew regulations.
By Charles Dzimwasha
46 year-old Edcock Dube of Chitungwiza, instituted legal action against Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe and ZRP Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga and a police officer only identified as Chafunga, demanding ZWL1 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 the curfew regulations imposed by government in 2020 in a bid to stop the unnecessary movement of people and to curb the spread of coronavirus. He was taken to St Mary’s Police Station, where he was detained in the police 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.
He was then assisted by Tinashe Chinopfukutwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, who on 29 April 2021, helped him to sue Kazembe, Matanga and Chafunga for damages at Chitungwiza Civil Magistrates Court.
After presiding over the trial of Hon. Kazembe, Matanga and Chafunga, Chitungwiza Provincial Magistrate Sheunesu Matova recently ordered the trio to pay ZWL400 000 in damages to Dube after holding them liable for the violation of the Chitungwiza resident’s fundamental rights.
