Poet gets $1,7million after police beating
Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe and police commissioner-general Godwin Matanga have been ordered to pay award winning poet Obert Dude $1.7 million after he was assaulted by five police officers for allegedly violating the Covid-19 lockdown curfew.
the damages are for medical expenses, which Dube incurred in treating injuries which he sustained, pain and suffering arising as a result of the unlawful conduct of the police officers.
Dube was assaulted by five ZrP officers on January, 20, 2021 at about 10pm in Victoria Falls.
In his notice to sue, Dube said the police officers used truncheons, open palms and booted feet to assault him.
He was represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human rights (ZLHr).
Victoria Falls magistrate Godswill Mavenge ordered the five ZrP officers including Matanga, Kazembe to pay the damages within 90 days of the granting of his order.
Dube, who is reigning 2020 Pan African Poet of the year, said he suffered a fractured arm, a fractured thigh and was left coughing blood after being savagely assaulted by police officers who were stationed at Mkhosana base on January 20.
the five cops met Dube at 10pm on the day and started beating him up with truncheons.
He fled into a yard where they followed him and continued beating him even after handcuffing him.
Dube said he was walking to assist his brother who had fallen ill on the night.
He was admitted to hospital following the assault.
the poet said after handcuffing him, the five officers took turns to slap, kick and beat him with batons while threatening to kill him.
Dube fractured his upper left limb, thigh and injured his back and chest, and doctors recommended X-ray on his injured upper limb and chest.
He paid a $500 admission of guilt fine before filing charges against the police. His cellphone was also partly damaged. Dube said he struggled to get a letter of request for treatment from the police.
He holds an honorary Pan African award courtesy of renowned Kenyan Pan Africanist orator, political and social analyst Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba and his charity organisation PLO Foundation.
the ZrP is saddled with various lawsuits resulting from unlawful arrests, torture and assault among other human rights violations.
In November 2022, the ZrP was ordered to compensate a man who was shot and injured by a constable in 2018.
In 2021, police were ordered to pay $175, 000 damages to Lilian Chinyerere who was unlawfully assaulted by the police in 2019.