A MAN of Ndola whose son drowned while on a boat cruise on Lake Tanganyika has sued Pendulum Transport and Fisheries Limited seeking over K2 million compensation for the death of his loved one. Mwika Mizinga blames Pendulum Transport and Fisheries Limited for the death of his son, George Mizinga, and wants the company to compensate him as a personal representative of (George’s) estate.

This is according to a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court. Mr Mizinga states that before his death, George graduated with a diploma in pharmacy at the Evelyn Hone College in 2017 and immediately started work. He said in April 2018, George was an employee at an American non-profit-making organisation Equip and was on an K18,000 monthly net salary.

“During the course of his employment, George was based in Mpulungu, Northern Province, where Pendulum organised and advertised for a boat cruise dubbed ‘Isanga bay boat is cruising’. Mr Mizinga said the cruise was scheduled to take place on June 29 last year at Isanga Island, about 60 kilometres from Mpulungu.

“To participate in the boat cruise, members of the public had to buy a ticket at K130, which George bought. “Pendulum provided transport to and from Isanga Island to members of the public who bought tickets for the boat cruise and was to ferry them back to the island safely,” the statement of claim reads in part. Mr Mizinga states that after the cruise, participants got into a boat belonging to Pendulum en route to Mpulungu Harbour. “Before the boat could get to the harbour, the defendant’s employee in charge of the boat ordered all the people to get on a small boat which would take them to the harbour,” the statement of claim further reads. George and others got on the small boat which proceeded to Mpulungu Harbour.

But before the boat got on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, the defendant’s employee further ordered all its occupants to jump out of the boat and swim to the lake shore. “All the people complied with the order and, thereafter, the deceased could not be seen on the water and his body was later found by Zambian marines,” the document reads. Mr Mizinga said George was rushed to Mpulungu Hospital, where he was pronounced dead and an autopsy report showed that he died of suffocation occasioned by water which entered his lungs.

He contends that George’s death was a result of Pendulum’s negligence and failure to ensure that he (George) was safely taken back to the shore. Mr Mizinga is now claiming compensation for loss of life, a further K300,000 spent on educating George plus K200,000 in funeral expenses and damages