News / National
Muchinguri tries to dodge court ruling
2 hrs ago | Views
Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri is seeking to overturn a High Court ruling compelling her to compensate the widow of a Harare resident who was killed by soldiers during the August 1, 2018 post-election protests.
In April this year, Justice Maxwell Takuva ordered Muchinguri to pay US$122,235 to Suspicious Ziyambi, the widow of Ishmael Kumire, a street vendor who died from gunshot wounds after soldiers opened fire on demonstrators in central Harare. At least five other civilians were killed that day as security forces clamped down on protests over delays in announcing presidential election results.
The payout includes US$112,235 for loss of support to Ziyambi and her children, and US$10,000 for nervous shock and trauma. The judge ruled that Kumire's killing by soldiers was unlawful.
Ziyambi, represented by human rights lawyer Kudzayi Kadzere from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), successfully sued Muchinguri in her capacity as Defence Minister.
However, Muchinguri has now applied to have the judgment rescinded, arguing that she only became aware of the ruling on August 13, 2025, after being served with a copy by Ziyambi's lawyers. She blamed her representative from the Attorney-General's Office for failing to attend trial proceedings on October 29, 2024.
In her application, Muchinguri also suggested that the absence could have been due to glitches in the Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS), which may have failed to deliver notification of the court hearing.
She insists she should not be punished for the negligence of her legal practitioner and further argues that the compensation figure awarded is "exorbitant and unreasonable."
The application is yet to be set down for hearing.
In April this year, Justice Maxwell Takuva ordered Muchinguri to pay US$122,235 to Suspicious Ziyambi, the widow of Ishmael Kumire, a street vendor who died from gunshot wounds after soldiers opened fire on demonstrators in central Harare. At least five other civilians were killed that day as security forces clamped down on protests over delays in announcing presidential election results.
The payout includes US$112,235 for loss of support to Ziyambi and her children, and US$10,000 for nervous shock and trauma. The judge ruled that Kumire's killing by soldiers was unlawful.
Ziyambi, represented by human rights lawyer Kudzayi Kadzere from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), successfully sued Muchinguri in her capacity as Defence Minister.
However, Muchinguri has now applied to have the judgment rescinded, arguing that she only became aware of the ruling on August 13, 2025, after being served with a copy by Ziyambi's lawyers. She blamed her representative from the Attorney-General's Office for failing to attend trial proceedings on October 29, 2024.
In her application, Muchinguri also suggested that the absence could have been due to glitches in the Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS), which may have failed to deliver notification of the court hearing.
She insists she should not be punished for the negligence of her legal practitioner and further argues that the compensation figure awarded is "exorbitant and unreasonable."
The application is yet to be set down for hearing.
Source - online
