Victims can sue Nera

• Published date: 29 August 2016
• Publication title: The Sunday Mail

Shop-owners and vendors whose property was vandalised or looted during MDC-T's violent demonstrations in Harare last week are in a strong position to sue the protest organisers, legal experts have said. The lawyers said the cheaper route involves appealing to Parliament to legislate victims' compensation.

Last Friday, opposition activists under the banner National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) looted shops and damaged property after the High Court cleared them to march for 'electoral reforms'.

MDC-T youths had unleashed similar violence two days earlier.

Among the businesses caught up in the disturbances were Chicken Slice, Edgars, Choppies Supermarket, Bata, Nagaji and several clothing boutiques.

Nera comprises of opposition parties MDC-T, Zimbabwe People First, Progressive Democratic Party and Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn, among others; and had been agitating for street protests for weeks.

Harare-based lawyer Mr Terrence Hussein told The Sunday Mail, 'In this case, most insurers are likely to refuse to pay claims and at law, they are justified to do so. The victims can, however, sue the organisers and inciters of the violence and claim damages.

'They have a strong case in this particular instance.

'However, suing could be expensive for most of people so the quicker way would be through a law gazetted by Parliament to provide for the compensation of victims,' he said.

Another lawyer, Miss Rutendo...