DEFENCE Minister Hon. Oppah Muchinguri is facing the possibility of spending six months in jail after she wilfully defied a High Court order, where she was ordered to pay US$25 000 to a victim of brutal army shootings, as compensation for injuries sustained when soldiers fired bullets to suppress anti-government protests in August 2018.
In July 2025, Hon. Muchinguri agreed to pay US$25 000 as compensation to Zakeyo Mutimutema, who in 2018 worked for Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and who sued her together with Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Hon. Kazembe Kazembe and Zimbabwe Republic Police Commissioner-General Stephen Mutamba for damages for current and future medical expenses, pain and suffering and general damages, after some glass particles got into his eyes, when armed soldiers shot at a building housing his offices on 1 August 2018, while dispersing some people who were protesting against alleged electoral malpractices during the harmonised elections.
Mutimutema sustained some injuries and partially lost his eyesight after a stray bullet fired by members of the Zimbabwe National Army, who were dispersing some people protesting against the delay in the release of the presidential election results, shattered glasses of windows to his office at Gorlon House in Harare.
The labour law specialist had to undergo three unsuccessful eye surgeries to remove fine glass particles that pierced his eyes after a bullet fired by soldiers shattered glass windows at his ZCTU offices.
Now, Mutimutema, who is represented by Obey Shava of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, wants the High Court to declare Hon. Muchinguri to be in contempt of court for the wilful failure to comply with its order granted in July 2025 and for her to be committed to serve a period of six months in prison, which will be wholly suspended on condition that she complies with the High Court order within seven days.
In his application for committal for contempt, Mutimutema protested and argued that Hon. Muchinguri wilfully disobeyed or neglected to comply with the High Court order and ignored several demands for the satisfaction of payment of his debt.
The former ZCTU employee argued that Hon. Muchinguri’s failure to comply with a High Court order is not justified as it constitutes a wilful disobedience of a lawful order and her conduct is contemptuous and undermines the authority of the court.
A Commission of Inquiry chaired by former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe and appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to probe the post-July 2018 election violence that left at least six people dead after they were shot by soldiers, recommended that government should compensate all the victims of the shootings and prosecute all perpetrators.
However, no known victims or families have been compensated and there has been no prosecution of perpetrators.
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ENDS
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