“No One Has Reached Out To Us,” – Families Of August 1 Shooting Victims Speak 2 Years Later

The families of victims of August 1, 2018, shooting have suggested that the government has not reached out to compensate them for the loss of their loved ones.

This comes as Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told Zimbabwe Independent this week that the president Mnangagwa-led administration had taken bold steps towards implementing a raft of recommendations passed by the Motlanthe commission with regards to the shootings. Ziyambi said:

We set up Polad, we repealed the Access to Information and Privacy Act (Aippa), we engaged families of victims.

However, Maxwell Tauro, the father of Ignatius Tauro who was shot dead on August 1 2018, told the Independent this week that he had not received any compensation from the government. He said:

No one has reached out to us. We have not received any money from government. I once followed up on the docket and they said they will tell us when they need me.

Alison Charles, whose brother and executer of the estate of his brother Gavin Dean Charles was also killed by state security agents two years ago, said the government has neither apologised nor compensated the family.

Most of the victims were opposition MDC activists who were protesting against a disputed election.

More: Zimbabwe Independent

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