Tsvangirai aide demands $400 000 compensation

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai's spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka has approached the High Court, seeking conversion of his compensation demands from the now-obsolete Zimbabwe dollar to United States dollar after he sued the Home Affairs ministry and police for alleged unlawful detention in 2007.

Tamborinyoka, who was initially demanding Z$200 billion, now wants the damages converted to $200 000, following the collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar.

He claims he was arrested together with several party activists on March 28, 2007 following a police raid at the MDC-T headquarters.

In his lawsuit, he cited then Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi, Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri, Assistant Commissioner Musarashana Mabunda, one Superintendent J Chani, Officer-in-Charge Harare Law and Order and Detective Kambanje, as respondents.

The MDC-T activist also wants the court to amend the value to another $200 000 for pain, shock, suffering, psychological trauma, contumelia and loss of amenities of life.

"The amendment that I seek does not alter the cause of action. When the claim was made there was only one currency in use, the Zimbabwe dollar. The claim was, therefore, made using that currency. But subsequently and around 2009 the currency was under the siege of inflation and had become valueless," part of the application read.

"For this reason, it is no longer tenable or proper for me to persist with my prayer for relief that sounds in a retired or decommissioned currency. This leaves me with no choice, but to seek that my claim be amended by the deletion of local currency."

Tamborinyoka said he spent over two-and-a-half months in remand prison before the charges levelled against him were dropped, but only after he was subjected to inhuman treatment, including physical torture.

Meanwhile, the MDC-T has filed an opposing affidavit challenging its former employee Sally Dura's demand for $108 951 as compensation for unfair dismissal.

Dura and 16 other MDC-T workers had taken the party to the Labour Court demanding compensation for loss of employment, and the court ruled in their favour.

The MDC-T, through its director of employee relations Simon Chuma, challenged the claim, saying the document filed at the High Court was not authentic.