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Freedom Mupanedemo-Midlands Bureau
A FAMILY from Bulawayo is refusing to bury their 14-year-old son who was electrocuted at Dadaya High School until they have received written reports from the school, the police and Zesa.
Tanaka Chihwendo was electrocuted after he came into contact with a live power line while playing with other boys at Dadaya High School about two weeks ago. While the school rushed him to Zvishavane District Hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Since then, the boy’s relatives have been demanding a full report from the school.
The family is demanding a formal notification of death from the school, and the investigation reports in writing.
In an interview yesterday, family spokesperson Mr Edson Mambo said the school was refusing to provide a written report of what happened. The family had been told of the boy’s death and what transpired orally but wanted to have something in black and white.
“The only information about the boy, who is the only child of his widowed mother, is that he was electrocuted while playing with other boys in the school grounds. We then asked them for something in written form but they have been refusing. This is why we then said we can’t just take our boy from the mortuary and bury him with nothing to explain his death,” said Mr Mambo.
He said the family visited the school to attend the scene but there was no live wire.
“It is said the wire was swiftly removed by the school authorities since it was an illegal connection so we have said we can’t bury the boy before full investigations by Zesa and the police,” he said.
Mr Mambo said the whole family was devastated by the sudden death of the boy whose father passed away when he was three years old.
“The mother who is my sister is the most heartbroken. The boy’s father died when he was three years old and my sister never remarried. She had all her hope on the boy who was very bright in school. We want justice before the boy is buried,” he said.
Meanwhile, the school has since engaged a local traditional leader, Chief Mafala, to negotiate burial conditions.
Chief Mafala said the school has been incurring mortuary charges with the family denying responsibility.
“A police post mortem is out confirming electrocution. As we speak I am in Bulawayo trying to meet the boy’s family so that we have the boy buried then if there are any negotiations,” he said.
Dadaya High School head Mr Master Shumba declined to comment yesterday.
Midlands provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, confirmed handling a report of sudden death by electrocution at Dadaya High School two weeks ago.
“We urge institutions and authorities in charge of public infrastructure and facilities to ensure that their implements are safe to the public,” he said.
Online Reporter