Wife wins suit for hubby's wrongful death agains prisons

The wife of an inmate who died while in remand prison awaiting trial for trespassing has been awarded $84 000 in a civil rights lawsuit against prison authorities.

Precious Kanengoni had sued the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; the Commissioner-General of Prisons and Correctional Services; and the officer-in-charge of Rusape Prisons for $300 000 for loss of support.

A fully contested trial established that prison officials violated 23-year-old Andrew Kamba's rights when he died in his cell at Rusape Remand Prison on January 28, 2014 following an asthma attack.

Justice Priscilla Munangati-Manongwa ruled that the prison officials were negligent and, therefore, liable for damages.