Home | News | EEC WON’T PAY FAMILY E1M FOR ELECTROCUTED SON (16)

EEC WON’T PAY FAMILY E1M FOR ELECTROCUTED SON (16)

15/11/2020 06:08:00 BY MFANUKHONA NKAMBULE

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mfanukhona@times.co.sz

SITEKI – Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) refuses to compensate a parent whose 16-year-old son died of electrocution while picking avocados from a tree.

In its own investigation, EEC found itself not guilty of any negligence that might have resulted in the death of Melusi Gcina Dlamini. The High tension (HT) or high voltage, which killed Melusi, was reportedly hanging over the untrimmed avocado tree, within the premises of his home in Siteki.

The boy died on June 29, 2019.

In a letter dated April 22, 2020, EEC informed the deceased’s father, Themba Cyprian Dlamini, that the cause of the fault was a personal factor, which was lack of knowledge on the part of the boy.

Sabelo Mhlanga, the SHERQ Manager of EEC, stated in the letter that the public enterprise would not pay compensation because it was not liable for the damages claimed by Dlamini.

Mhlanga said a number of EEC investigation teams visited the scene of accident, interviewed witnesses and made observations.

“The conclusion that can be drawn is that the cause of the fault was a personal factor, which was lack of knowledge on the part of the victim and inadequate maintenance,” reads the letter.

compensate

“That being said, it is with regret that EEC will not compensate this case since there was no liability established for the damages.”

In an interview, Dlamini, a pastor by vocation, said he had asked EEC to pay him E1 million as compensation. He said the parastatal did cater for his son’s funeral expenses.

He claimed, however, EEC did not send representatives to offer condolences to the Dlamini family for the loss of his son who was a boy scout and pupil at Mlindazwe Primary School.

Dlamini said he had on several occasions asked EEC to disconnect power so that he could be able to safely trim the trees, but the company did not do so.

shocked

He said he was shocked that the company sent its workers to cut the trees immediately after the death of his son. He said Melusi’s mother died when he was six months. He was at pains trying to explain how he struggled to raise his son without his biological mother.

His wife helped him raise him as well, he said.

“I asked my wife to help me raise my son because I loved him. He was schooling in South Africa all these years until I felt he should come back home to pursue his education here,” he said.

He explained that he had been negotiating with EEC over an out of court settlement until he realised on Wednesday that he needed to seek services of an attorney.

The pastor said he also considered seeking advice from the Human Rights Commission. He wondered how EEC could be a judge in its own case.

“I didn’t instruct them to investigate and make a ruling. My complaint is that my son was within the premises of my home when he died from electric shock,” he said.

“Secondly, the line that killed my son belongs to EEC.”

He said it was not possible to trim the trees without assistance from the parastatal.

advised

Senior attorneys interviewed by this newspaper advised Dlamini to take the matter to court.

They did not want their names published as either of the parties could seek their legal representation.

One of the attorneys said: “I can only advise the parent and EEC on what they can possibly do to put the matter to rest. That I can do behind closed doors. For now, I can only urge the parent to take the matter to court. The country must establish a Legal Aid to assist emaSwati who can’t afford to hire the services of attorneys.”

Khaya Mavuso, the EEC’s Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager, said the SHERQ manager’s advice to Dlamini was the position taken by the company.

clarified

He, however, clarified that it had been the tradition of the company to offer some money to families whose relatives died of electric shocks, regardless of who could have been at fault during the accident or incident.

He said they used to offer E10 000, but the money has since been increased to E15 000. Mavuso said they offered this money out of goodwill so that the bereaved family could cater for funeral expenses.

He said EEC had arranged to offer the E15 000 to the family of Dlamini but withdrew the kind gesture after he (Dlamini) had suggested that he was taking the legal route.

The marketing and communications manager pointed out that they feared that EEC’s offer of E15 000 to the family to cater for the funeral services could be misconstrued for admission of guilt.

“We can only clarify our position on the E15 000 which we would have given the Dlaminis, otherwise the SHERQ manager has made a statement on behalf of EEC,” he said.

He, however, hinted that Dlamini could still appeal the decision to the managing director of EEC.

There are several people who died of electrocution in the country. In 2011, a 21-year-old man was tragically killed in Ezulwini when he was electrocuted inside a pool while swimming.

The man, who would be 29 this year, was electrocuted upon entering the pool ahead of everyone.

His mother was distraught at her son’s demise, particularly because she alleged she was not assisted in anyway by the owners of the swimming pool in burying her son.

bare electricity wire

However, she alleged that she was left on her own to bury him. EEC revealed that a bare electricity wire inside the pool was the cause of the electrocution. In 2017, a man of Maseyisini in the Shiselweni region was electrocuted while trying to fix an illegal damaged electric wire. EEC conducted an investigation, which revealed that the wire was used to connect electricity from a house belonging to his landlord to a one room flat he rented.

It was also reported that the man had also asked a child to cut off power from the landlord’s house so that he could fix the electrical wire. At that moment, he was suddenly struck by an electric shock that left him with a burnt index finger and thumb.

It was reported that he fixed the wires with his bare hands.

Children found him lying on the ground with his body facing up and the electrical wire still attached to his hand.