A military court on Thursday fined and demoted two Zimbabwean army officers after one of their subordinates accidentally shot 14 spectators during a mock battle at a fair last September.
The court martial, sitting at an army base in Harare, slapped warrant officer Lazarus Chipango with a Z$1-million (about R930) fine and demoted him to first-year sergeant.
The court also fined Sergeant Phineas Mukonho Z$500 000 and demoted him to corporal.
Prosecutor Wing Commander Albert Murove said Mukonho and Chipango breached the Defence Act by failing to carry out ”necessary safety precautions”, including ensuring that their troops would not use live ammunition during the show.
Three people were seriously injured while the others have since recovered from shrapnel wounds in what the prosecution said was the first accident of its kind in Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.
One of the victims had a bullet lodged in his groin, another is still in hospital nursing a broken leg and a third is limping as a result of a leg injury.
The accident happened at an agricultural show in Marondera, 65km east of Harare, when live ammunition was used during a mock battle, but details of the incident remain sketchy.
Lieutenant Stanley Mugombe (29), who was in charge of the group, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of breaching the defence law by ”failing to carry out necessary safety precautions”.
He was fined Z$2-million and sent for retraining.
Mugombe’s lawyer absolved his client, saying on the fateful day Mugombe had been in charge of a group of soldiers handpicked from various camps.
The lawyer said the soldier who opened fire ”was ill-trained”, adding that it was the responsibility of the army to ensure that ”soldiers should be trained to be on their guard every time”.
The prosecution said four other soldiers who have denied the charges will be tried separately. — Sapa-AFP