HARARE-(MaraviPost)-Zimbabwe’s High Court has hit the state with a US$15,000 bill, ruling that the Zimbabwe Republic Police and Home Affairs Minister must pay damages for the brutal arrest, unlawful detention and inhuman treatment of a Harare man.
In a judgment handed down on September 2, 2026, Justice Samuel Deme found the government vicariously liable after 52-year-old Emmanuel Majoni sued over abuses he suffered during a 2016 arrest.
The ruling is the latest in a wave of civil claims forcing Zimbabwe to pay for police misconduct.
BEATEN, JAILED IN FILTHY CELLS FOR 7 MONTHS
Court records filed by Majoni through Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, ZLHR, show he was arrested on August 24, 2016 in Harare during an anti-government protest along with 73 other people. He was charged with public violence.
Majoni told the court ZRP officers assaulted him with truncheons and booted feet at the point of arrest.
He was then held at Harare Central Police Station in overcrowded, filthy cells without blankets. He was later moved to Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison and kept for one month as a “D” class dangerous prisoner.
Majoni described the prison conditions as degrading: non-nutritious food, leaking sewage in cells, and unsanitary facilities.
After 7 months facing trial, he was discharged at the close of the State case on March 22, 2017.
US$15,000 FOR ARREST, PAIN AND LOSS OF DIGNITY
Majoni sued Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Hon. Kazembe Kazembe and ZRP Commissioner-General Stephen Mutamba, arguing the officers acted in the course of duty.
He claimed US$15,000 broken down as:
- US$5,000 for unlawful arrest and detention
- US$5,000 for pain and suffering
- US$5,000 for contumelia — damages for injury to dignity and reputation
Justice Deme ordered both the Minister and Commissioner-General to pay the full US$15,000.
Majoni also told the court he lost his income while in custody and suffered emotional trauma, with his reputation damaged after being linked to criminals.
ZLHR: COURT SENDING MESSAGE ON IMPUNITY
ZLHR, which represented Majoni, said the case was part of efforts to hold the state accountable.
“By bringing anti-impunity civil proceedings against perpetrators of human rights violations, ZLHR aims to deter and discourage acts of human rights violations in Zimbabwe,” the organization said.
Human rights lawyers say the judgment adds financial pressure on the government as more victims take police brutality cases to court instead of waiting for criminal prosecutions.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and ZRP had not responded by press time.
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