Zim torture victims seek compensation

A GROUP of nine Zimbabweans, who were tortured by security forces and won a court case in their home country several years ago to be paid compensation by that government, have turned to the regional tribunal of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) because they have not been paid yet.

The case of originally 12 victims was brought before the SADC Tribunal last year via the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, but the judges ruled that they could not hear the case and that the individual victims should rather turn to the tribunal.Only one victim has been paid so far and the lawyers of nine of the 11 remaining victims turned to the SADC Tribunal on Tuesday, with the first applicant being Barry Gondo.Lawyer Jeremy Gauntlett told the bench of three judges that not only should the Zimbabwean government pay compensation to the victims who suffered bullet wounds, beatings and even paralysis as a result of the physical violence about seven years ago, but the compensation should be adjusted due to the high inflation rate that country had experienced.The victims who were tortured by the Zimbabwe security forces are Kerina Gweshe, Lameck Sengure, Nyaradzai Katsande, Peter Chirinda, Phanuel Mapingure, Ruth Manika, Sophia Matasva, Trust Shumba, Mercy Magunje, Barry Gondo and two others. They were not present at the tribunal hearing.According to Gauntlett, the impression should not be created that governments f SADC member states were privileged and need not follow court orders.’This creates immunity as a result of impunity,’ Gauntlett argued. ‘We request that the Tribunal expresses itself on that.’Gauntlett further asked that the compensation should be adjusted since Zimbabwe had introduced the US dollar and the South African rand as currencies. Due to the hyperinflation experienced in Zimbabwe over the past years, the original compensation amounts laid down years ago by the Zimbabwe high court would today be worth next to nothing.Justice Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay of Mauritius, who chaired the hearing, reserved judgement. The other two judges were Justice Isaac Jamu Mtambo of Malawi and Justice Luis Antonio Mondlane of Mozambique. No legal team for the Zimbabwe government was present at the hearing.