The
Bulawayo
High
Court,
through
Judges
Evangelista
Kabasa
and
Dube,
ruled
in
favour
of
the
victims,
residents
of
Mangwe
in
Matabeleland
South
Province.
Both
minors,
aged
11
and
14
at
the
time
of
the
incidents
on
18
May
2022,
were
represented
by
lawyer
Prisca
Dube
of
the
Zimbabwe
Lawyers
for
Human
Rights
(ZLHR).
In
the
case
of
the
11-year-old,
ZLHR
filed
summons
on
14
August
2024,
seeking
damages
for
electrocution
caused
by
ZESA’s
subsidiary,
the
Zimbabwe
Electricity
Transmission
and
Distribution
Company
(ZETDC).
ZETDC
initially
denied
liability,
claiming
the
compensation
sought
was
excessive.
On
15
January
2026,
Justice
Dube
ordered
the
utility
to
pay
US$50 000
within
two
months.
The
14-year-old
minor
suffered
severe
electrical
burns
and
was
treated
initially
at
St
Anne’s
Hospital
in
Brunapeg
before
being
referred
to
United
Bulawayo
Hospitals
(UBH),
where
he
underwent
surgery
on
his
right
arm.
His
injuries
resulted
in
a
cumulative
disability
of
32%.
ZLHR
filed
a
summons
on
8
August
2024,
demanding
US$52 000
in
damages.
ZETDC
denied
responsibility
but
later
offered
a
settlement
of
US$16 000,
the
maximum
covered
by
its
insurance
policy,
which
the
minor’s
parents
accepted.
On
22
January
2026,
Justice
Kabasa
ordered
ZETDC
to
make
the
payment
within
60
days.