Lilongwe Water Board rebuffs Area 18 family on K95mil compensation over sewage horror
Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) has rebuffed one of the families in Area 18 affected by the sewage polluted water when they demanded compensation of K95 million.
Lawyer GD Liwimbi and Partners wrote the board seeking compensation of K95 million for a family of Khama Matupa, Elinat Matupa, Thandiwe Longwe, Beatrice Njiragoma and two minors who were demanding K15 million each while the other minor demands K20 million.
They victims argued that it is “degrading, disgusting, noxious, and incomprehensible to make human beings consume human excreta” through the water supplied by LWB as a result of negligence.
According to the letter, the six demanding compensation suffered from vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness, fever and abdominal pains.
“Clinical and laboratory assessments discovered that our clients were under severe bacterial infection consistent with severe bacterial gastroenteritis,” the letter from lawyers to LWB reads in part.
It said the six were treated with antibiotics and metronidazole and that the minors were admitted to the hospital for two days where they were put on intravenous fluids and antibiotics.
But LWB through its lawyers Lilongwe and Company has flatly denied any liability.
The Matupa family say they will drag the board to court for inhumane and degrading water contamination in the capital city’s township.
Lawyers’ Forum for Human Rights executive director Chancy Mwalubunju is also taking a different legal action on behalf of other affected residents.
The affected residents presented a petition to government in which they asked for compensation.
Area 18 residents are responsible for this mess. They should STOP vandalizing public installations. Government is busy investing infrastructure enanu are busy vandalizing the same kenaka muzipanga tima demo topanda pake. Vandalism of state property is criminal, illegal and abhorrent besides it will never yield no compensation. We should not set the wrong precedence by compensating anyone for vandalizing public installations kumati tikapanga sue ku court. It starts with you residents of Area 18, look after your infrastructure it is your very own and you will never have these problems. You know the destructive elements within yourselves – DEAL WITH… Read more »
In unity there is strength. As such those affected by the quality of the water provided by the servicing water authority should join the litigation. Reach a compromise on the hiring fee. After all other claimants have set the pace for the litigation.. Claim reasonable amounts which could easily be proved. If the amount being claimed by each party is astronomical, then, the court may likely dismiss the claim. As for the local authority, reach a compromise on the matter because paying costs in event of losing the case will be a mind boggling issue. Besides, the compensation award may… Read more »
Paja a Khama Matupa mumadzimva,why seeking compensation on your own other than taking the route that others have taken.Ndinu a chitsiru mwamva,its not only you and your family that suffered because of that.Kudzimva kuti muli ndi ndalama zoti mutha kupanga hire lawyer panokha.za ziii,zipumi zonyasazo.stupid.
Zayambika!