State to cough out K500,000 in Vespers’ death

CHINTU MALAMBO writes THE State has committed to compensate the family of late UNZA student Vespers Shimunzhila K500,000 with six percent interest per annum for loss of her life. This was after a consent judgement entered into between Shimunzhila’s father Davison and the Attorney General. In this matter Shimunzhila sued the State demanding damages for loss of expectation of life for his daughter to be assessed by the court. Shimunzhila cited the Attorney General as the respondent. “The parties having agreed the terms in which a judgement should be made and consenting to a judgement being drawn up in such terms as hereafter provided. By consent it is hereby agreed and adjudged that; I)The plaintiff be paid the sum of K500, 000 with interest at the rate of six percent per annum from the date of the consent judgement to the date of the final payment in full and final settlement claim.  II)The defendant shall pay the plaintiff’s advocates the sum of K15, 000 in costs.” Read the consent judgment High Court judge Sharon Newa has since allowed the consent agreement entered into by Shimunzhila’s family through their lawyer from LCK chambers and the Attorney General’s chambers on April 23, 2020. Earlier, Davison Shimunzhila vowed to further seek justice for his daughter’s death after the Coroner established that the cause of death for Vespers was asphyxia due to smoke but no police officer present could be held liable. In his statement of claim Shimunzhila stated that the inquest into his daughter’s death found that the tear gas fired into the rooms caused the fire and smoke which led to the asphyxia suffered by the deceased.  He explained that the incident happened when the police were deployed to the campus in an attempt to control the unrest from the students who were protesting against delayed payment of meal allowances on October 4, 2018. He stated that the actions of the State were reckless or negligent  and were in complete disregard for human decency, human life and respect for the law.  He stated that the death of his daughter permanently deprived her of the opportunity to live a full life. Shimunzhila wanted damages for loss of expectation of life to be assessed by the court. The Sun