ZNA Commander Ordered To Pay US$29K To 2019 Protest Shooting Victim
Two Harare men who suffered at the hands of soldiers during the 2019 fuel protests have finally seen justice. A civil court has ruled that Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Commander, Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Matatu, and Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri must compensate the victims—one of whom was shot and still lives with bullet fragments in his body.
Harare Civil Magistrate Mandlenkosi Ndhlovu ordered the top military official and the minister to pay US$29 182 (R545 000) to Felix Mafondokoto. Another magistrate, Tamara Chibindi, ruled that Muchademba Muponde be paid ZiG45 976 for the injuries he suffered during the military crackdown.
Brutality During 2019 Protests
The violence unfolded in January 2019 as nationwide protests erupted against fuel price hikes. Mafondokoto, aged 44, was shot on 19 January while soldiers were clearing crowds—even though he was not part of the demonstrations.
He later turned to Kossam Ncube of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) for legal help. Ncube sued Matatu and Muchinguri, seeking US$49 000 (R915 000) in damages.
“Mafondokoto… suffered severe injuries from the shooting and still has some bullet fragments in his body,” ZLHR said in a post on X.
ZLHR confirmed he had requested compensation for:
“pain and suffering, nervous shock, loss of earnings and medical expenses.”
‘He Beat Me With A Gun’
Three days earlier, on 16 January 2019, Muponde was accompanying his grandfather to buy a chicken when soldiers descended on Glenview 1 Shopping Centre. As people scattered, he too fled—but was caught by an armed soldier.
According to ZLHR:
“One of the soldiers… gave chase and caught him before assaulting him on the back of his body and neck using the back of the firearm.”
Even after Muponde tried to hide, the soldier reportedly followed him into a nearby home and continued beating him. He was struck so hard that he began bleeding from the head.
“The soldier continued beating him and only stopped after seeing the severity of the injuries,” ZLHR reported.
Muponde sustained injuries to both legs and his back, and for a while, he could not walk. He sought legal support from lawyer Tinashe Chinopfukutwa, who filed a suit on his behalf the same year.
Denial Of Responsibility Rejected
During court proceedings, Muchinguri and Matatu tried to shift blame. They argued that the soldiers were under the control of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, not the ZNA.
But the courts didn’t accept that.
“Hon. Muchinguri and Lieutenant-General Matatu unsuccessfully tried to absolve themselves,” ZLHR stated.
Ultimately, the magistrates found the two high-ranking officials liable for the brutality.
Mafondokoto and Muponde, though still nursing physical and emotional scars, welcomed the rulings as a hard-fought victory.
“Victims of brutality perpetrated by some soldiers have begun accessing justice,” ZLHR posted.
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The post ZNA Commander Loses Court Battle, Forced To Pay US$29K Compensation To 2019 Protest Victim appeared first on iHarare News.
