A CHIADZWA man, who had his testicles allegedly bludgeoned by police officers early this year for alleged unlawful entry into diamond fields, has issued summons against Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo and three others, demanding $500 000 compensation for the serious injuries he sustained in the attack.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
Fungai Ziduche (33) from Zvidovanhu village, who is being represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), cited one police officer Ncube as the first defendant, while officer-in-charge Mbada Diamonds is cited as the second defendant.
Chombo is the third defendant, while Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri is the fourth defendant. ZLHR member Peggy Mapfumo Tavagadza said they issued the summons after Chombo and the Home Affairs ministry failed to respond to their 60-day ultimatum after they wrote a notice of intention to sue in terms of the State Liabilities Act as read with the Police Act.
“Ziduche is claiming $500 000 being damages, unlawful arrest and detention and direct expenses sustained and incurred by the plaintiffs,” Mapfumo said on behalf of her client.
In a notice of intention to sue dated 7 April, ZLHR said Ziduche on February 26 this year was at Tenda shops around 8pm in the company of his uncle.
“Four police officers who were using a police vehicle arrived at the shops, whereupon they ordered him to get into the police vehicle. Despite demand, the police officers did not explain why they were acting in the manner they did. Police rounded other people at the shops,” the notice read.
Ziduche and other villagers were taken to Mbada Diamond base.
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“A police detail who bears the name Ncube, but whose further and better particulars are unknown to our client, ordered Ziduche to remove all his clothes and was only left with his underwear. Our client suffered extreme humiliation,” ZLHR wrote.
“Police officer Ncube proceeded to instruct our client to roll on the ground and in the process, assaulting him using a switch. During the process of rolling to the ground officer Ncube assaulted our client on his private parts, resulting in our client losing consciousness.’’
ZLHR said their client sustained serious injuries on his testicles and had to undergo surgery, where one of his testicles was removed and the other one was seriously injured.
Ziduche told NewsDay recently that doctors told him he was now infertile because of the injuries he sustained.
