BULAWAYO resident Levison Ncube, 25, died from “subarachnoid haemorrhage and head trauma” a few days after police allegedly beat him for allegedly violating Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 lockdown rules in April.

The cause of his death is contained in a post-mortem report conducted by a government pathologist at the local United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), seen by TimesLIVE.

Levison and his pregnant girlfriend were on their way to the shops to buy basic commodities in Mabuthweni, a low-income suburb in Bulawayo when police reprimanded them.

Armed with the post-mortem, the deceased’s family has filed a notice of intent to sue Godwin Matanga, the commissioner-general of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).

Mehluli Dube, a lawyer with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZHLR) representing the Ncube family, told TimesLIVE his clients were claiming compensation for medical expenses, funeral expenses, general damages for loss of support and any other ancillary damages suffered as a result of the death.

“Our clients hold the position that the deceased died as a result of the injuries he sustained after being assaulted by a police officer who at the material time was acting within the scope and course of his employment as a police officer employed by the ministry of home affairs which makes the state vicariously liable for his conduct,” he said.

This is the third case of the government being sued for violations committed during the national lockdown period. Two are from Bulawayo and one from Gweru, and they are demanding a total of ZW$750,000 (about R312,500).

Times Live