Zimbabwe Defence Ministry Ordered to Pay US$116K in Fatal Harare Crash

The Minister of Defence of Zimbabwe

HARARE – The Ministry of Defence of Zimbabwe and the Air Force of Zimbabwe have been ordered to pay more than US$116,000 in damages to a widow whose husband died after being struck by a vehicle driven by an air force employee.

In a ruling delivered at the Harare High Court on February 11, Never Katiyo found the ministry and the Air Force largely responsible for the fatal crash that occurred on December 21, 2019.

The court heard that Mudavanhu Manjengwa, 44, died from injuries sustained in the accident. His widow, Lucia Manjengwa, filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for loss of support following his death.

Court Finds Negligence and Vicarious Liability

Justice Katiyo ruled that the driver, Matthew Mushinga, was negligent in causing the accident. However, the judge held his employers vicariously liable, stating that they had entrusted a service vehicle to an officer who did not possess a valid military driving licence.

“The defendants, by issuing a service vehicle and placing it under the control of an unlicensed officer, created a foreseeable risk to the public,” the judge said in his ruling.

The court determined that the Ministry of Defence and the Air Force bore 95 percent of the liability, while the driver was assigned five percent as the primary wrongdoer.

Compensation for Loss of Support

Evidence presented during proceedings showed that Manjengwa was earning approximately US$931 per month at the time of his death. The court accepted that he would likely have remained employed for at least another 11 years.

Based on these calculations, Justice Katiyo awarded Lucia Manjengwa US$116,772.48 in damages for loss of support. The amount is payable either in United States dollars or the equivalent in local currency at the prevailing exchange rate. The court also ordered that interest be applied from the date the summons was filed until the full amount is paid.

Accountability for Public Safety

The judgment underscores the responsibility of state institutions to ensure that official vehicles are operated only by properly licensed and qualified personnel. By allowing an unlicensed officer to control a fleet of vehicles without adequate supervision, the court found that the authorities had exposed members of the public to avoidable danger.

The ruling is expected to reinforce calls for stricter oversight and compliance within Zimbabwe’s security services to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Defence; Air Force of Zimbabwe; fatal crash; pay compensation