A man has taken legal action against the State, demanding K5 million in compensation after his 13-year-old daughter lost her leg in an accident involving a Zambia National Service (ZNS) Zoomlion Crane Truck.
Thomas Siwila, representing his daughter, is demanding compensation for personal injury, emotional distress, medical expenses, future medical costs and out-of-pocket expenses.
The truck’s driver, Warrant Officer Chipemba Kasweshi, is named as a co-defendant, with allegations of negligence in the incident that led to the life-altering injury.
According to court documents, Siwila claims his daughter, a Grade 10 pupil at City of Hope School in Lusaka’s Makeni Township, was struck by the ZNS vehicle on February 2, 2025. The accident allegedly occurred while the girl was using a pedestrian crossing in front of her school’s gate along the Linda-Balmoral road.
Siwila argues that Kasweshi was negligent, alleging he was speeding and failed to exercise due care, resulting in Yande sustaining severe injuries that led to the amputation of her right leg.
Siwila expressed the profound impact of the accident on his daughter’s life. “My daughter had dreams of becoming an athlete, but now her life has changed forever. We are struggling to cope with the emotional and financial burden,” he said.
The child suffered multiple injuries, including a deep wound above the thigh, an exposed broken femur, and a pulseless right leg below the fracture. Following the accident, she was first taken to Makeni ZNS Hospital before being transferred to Maina Soko Military Hospital, where doctors were forced to amputate her leg.
She remained hospitalized for over three weeks before being discharged to continue treatment at home.
