Kazembe Kazembe sued for ZWL6.2 million over #ShutdownZimbabwe protests

Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe and Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga have been taken to court in their official capacities by one Pardon Chitongo who was shot during January 2019 #ShutdownZimbabwe protests.

The pair are on trial in a case in which the 25-year-old Epworth resident Chitongo is suing them for ZWL6.2 million as damages after he was shot by police officers on 14 January 2019.

According to his lawyers, Chitongo was standing outside his uncle's house when police officers recklessly and indiscriminately started shooting towards him, ostensibly to target some protestors during the protests. Chitongo had not been protesting and was simply caught in the cross-fire.

He was hit by a bullet which pierced through his arm and penetrated through his body, coming out on the other side of his body and hitting the other arm. As a result of the grave nature of his injuries, he had to undergo an operation to remove one of his kidneys and has suffered permanent damage to his spinal cord.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights are representing Chitongo.