Widow Awarded Over US$116,000 After Husband Killed By Air Force Vehicle

The High Court has ordered the Ministry of Defence and the Air Force of Zimbabwe to pay more than US$116,000 in damages to a widow whose husband was killed in a road accident involving an Air Force employee.

Justice Never Katiyo ruled that the ministry and the Air Force were responsible for the crash that killed Mudavanhu Manjengwa in 2019.

The court found that both institutions had allowed an unlicensed officer to operate a fleet of vehicles without proper supervision.

The victim’s widow, Lucia Manjengwa, had filed the case seeking compensation for loss of support following her husband’s death on 21 December 2019.

In a judgment delivered on 11 February, Justice Katiyo found the driver, Matthew Mushinga, negligent but held his employers vicariously liable, saying he had been entrusted with the vehicle although he did not have a valid military driving licence. Said Justice Katiyo:

“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 court apportioned 95 percent of the liability to the Ministry of Defence and the Air Force of Zimbabwe, with the remaining five percent assigned to the driver, who was identified as the primary wrongdoer.

Evidence presented showed that the deceased, who was 44 at the time of his death, earned approximately US$931 per month and was expected to continue working for another 11 years.

Justice Katiyo ruled that the widow was entitled to compensation for loss of support, awarding US$116,772.48—or the equivalent in local currency at the prevailing exchange rate—plus interest from the date the summons was filed until full payment.

More: ZimLive

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