28 … H olding them accountable … Chimhutu v Minister of Home Affairs and 3 Others Tsitsi Chimhutu was assaulted during police investigations in Mutare. ZLHR lawyers brought civil proceedings on her behalf against the police officers involved, for using extra-judicial tactics to force a false confession from Ms. Chimhutu. Following a full trial, the court awarded Chimhutu damages in the sum of US$ 3,000 in February 2014. ZLHR’s legal intervention sought to challenge the culture of impunity within the uniformed forces and re-assert the pre-eminence of constitutional protections that prohibit use of coercive tactics and force as methods of investigations by law enforcement agents. These are endemic challenges in the law enforcement and security sector in Zimbabwe. The government paid over the entire damages award after lawyers followed up to ensure implementation of the court order. ZLHR Annual Report 2014 Justice at last! Tsitsi Chimhutu of Nyanga inspecting her bank statement after compensation was paid to her by the police