News / National
Chipinge pupils sue Green Fuel for US$110,000 over assault
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ELEVEN Chipinge schoolchildren have dragged ethanol producer Green Fuel and three of its security guards to court, demanding more than US$100,000 in damages after they were assaulted earlier this year over allegations of stealing sugarcane.
The guards, identified as Makina Ngwenya, Benjamin Dube and Munorwei Gomondera, were captured in a viral video forcing the minors, aged between 13 and 17, to lie on the ground while one of them flogged them.
The children's parents and guardians, represented by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), filed summons at Chipinge Magistrates Court on Friday, accusing the guards and their employer of unlawful assault and ill-treatment.
Lawyers Peggy Tavagadza and Tatenda Sigauke said the pupils sustained serious injuries from the beatings. "The children sustained injuries from the assault and experienced swollen backsides and were not able to walk properly for some time. They experienced shock, pain and suffering both physical and psychological, emotional trauma and distress, contumelia and suffered public humiliation while their dignity and bodily integrity was violated," they argued.
The legal team is demanding US$10,000 compensation for each student, totalling US$110,000, for pain and suffering, trauma, humiliation and violation of dignity. They also want Green Fuel to publicly apologise to the learners, their families and the Chisumbanje community, condemn the guards' actions and pledge to prevent similar abuses in future.
According to the summons, the apology must be published in a local Manicaland newspaper, broadcast daily on Vemuganga Community Radio for five days, and displayed on the company's social media pages and notice boards for two weeks.
The case has sparked outrage among child rights advocates and community members, who say it underscores the need for corporate accountability and stronger safeguards for children's welfare.
The guards, identified as Makina Ngwenya, Benjamin Dube and Munorwei Gomondera, were captured in a viral video forcing the minors, aged between 13 and 17, to lie on the ground while one of them flogged them.
The children's parents and guardians, represented by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), filed summons at Chipinge Magistrates Court on Friday, accusing the guards and their employer of unlawful assault and ill-treatment.
The legal team is demanding US$10,000 compensation for each student, totalling US$110,000, for pain and suffering, trauma, humiliation and violation of dignity. They also want Green Fuel to publicly apologise to the learners, their families and the Chisumbanje community, condemn the guards' actions and pledge to prevent similar abuses in future.
According to the summons, the apology must be published in a local Manicaland newspaper, broadcast daily on Vemuganga Community Radio for five days, and displayed on the company's social media pages and notice boards for two weeks.
The case has sparked outrage among child rights advocates and community members, who say it underscores the need for corporate accountability and stronger safeguards for children's welfare.
Source - NewZimbabwe
