Family Refuse To Bury Boy Electrocuted At School Two Months Ago

The body of the 14-year-old Form Two learner who was electrocuted at Dadaya High School in Zvishavane two months ago is still in a private mortuary as the school is yet to agree on demands set by the family before burial.
Tanaka Chihwendo was electrocuted after he got into contact with a live power line while playing with other boys at the school late October.

Since then, the boy’s relatives have been demanding a full report from the school amid reports that investigations by police and the power utility, Zesa, have since established that the power line that electrocuted the boy was illegally connected by the school.

The school, which has been footing mortuary bills, is refusing to bow to the parents’ demands for fear of being sued later.

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In an interview this week, a spokesperson for the deceased boy’s family, Mr Edson Mambo said they had since engaged lawyers to force the school to provide them with a report on the circumstances leading to the boy’s death.

“This is what we are asking for; a report from the school.

“At law when the kid is in school, the school assumes the role of a parent so we are saying the school was the parent when our kid was electrocuted so they should just give the biological parents a report on the electrocution but they are refusing.

Maybe there is something behind their refusal and we have now become very curious,” said Mr Mambo.

He said the family lawyers were now handling the matter.

“The boy remains unburied and our lawyers have taken over.

“We will decide on when to bury our departed boy after taking advice from our lawyers,” he said.

The school on the other hand, has engaged the local traditional leader, Chief Mafala to try and negotiate burial conditions but to no avail.

Chief Mafala said the school had been incurring mortuary charges with the family denying responsibility.

“A postmortem confirmed the electrocution but now the family members want a written report from the school but we have not made any breakthrough,” said Chief Mafala.

School head, Mr Master Shumba has declined to comment on the matter. Herald