Electrocuted Teen Receives US$19 000 Compensation From ZESA
ZESA Holdings recently paid over US$19 000 to a teenager who was severely injured after he came into contact with exposed live cables that the power utility had failed to secure or remove.
Denzel Maulani (13) was injured by an electric shock after coming into contact with exposed live cables in Penhalonga.
He was represented by Messers Kevin Kabaya and Tatenda Sigauke from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).
The matter was set to appear before the Mutare High Court, but both parties opted for an out-of-court settlement.
ZESA undertook to fork out an equivalent of US$19 000 in Zimbabwe dollars to the teenager’s family.
Denzel’s mother Suwonani Mushanya, told The Manica Post that her son was nine-years-old when the accident occurred.
He battled for his life for two months while admitted at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.
Denzel was playing on a tree when he accidentally came into contact with the exposed electricity cable as he climbed down the tree.
As a result of the electric shock, he lost the function of his right hand and also suffered injuries on both feet. His mother said:
We are grateful that ZESA Holdings owned up to their mistake and compensated us. With the money, we can now buy comfortable shoes for him as he no longer wears ordinary shoes due to the injuries he sustained.
In a statement released recently, ZLHR said Denzel sustained severe electrical burns due to gross negligence by ZESA. It said:
The 13-year-old minor was left nursing extensive injuries on his right upper limbs, including permanent and irreversible injuries which he suffered due to electrocution in April 2019. Medical doctors estimated his impairment percentage at 20 percent.
The minor was electrocuted by exposed electricity cables which were left hanging dangerously low and within reach of people at his parent’s residence in Penhalonga.
The lawyers said ZESA’s power distribution unit, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), through its insurers, Cell Insurance, shared proof of payment with them. Read the statement:
The proof showed that ZETDC had deposited ZWL$92 679 793, which is equivalent to US$19 658, into the bank account of the minor’s parents after it accepted the child’s claim and liability for the damages that he suffered from the electrocution.
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