SDA CHURCH CAMP ACCIDENT GOES TO COURT
MOTHERS silently shed tears while fathers tried hard not to drop a tear as a survivor of the Seventh Day Adventist Siavonga camping incident that claimed six young lives narrated how they struggled to swim ashore on Lake Kariba.
Cornelius Chileshe, 21, whose elder brother, Rodwell, was among the six victims who drowned testified that the Coxswain of a fishing rig continued to sail into the deep waters of Lake Kariba despite people panicking and jumping off.
This is a matter in which coxswain Jonathan Haajaya, Osborn Mambo and Tyson Hachiyako are facing a charge of manslaughter.
On January 1, 2022, six SDA members drowned on Lake Kariba after they allegedly jumped off the fishing rig, which Haajaya was in charge of.
Testifying before Lusaka High Court Judge Kenneth Mulife, Chileshe narrated that he and the friends decided to go swimming at the harbour although without the permission of the district presidents.
He said they found other church members also swimming at the lake and joined them to play games.
“At around 15 to 16 hours, a big boat used for fishing kapenta arrived and docked by the edge of the lake where those from SDA Church where swimming. It was there for about 20 minutes. The church congregants went into the same boat to play. They would do summersaults from the boat into the water. We used it as a flat surface to jump into the water,” he said.
Chileshe said after about 20 minutes, the coxswain started the engine while people were still on the boat which resulted into panic and they started to jump into the water.
“The coxswain saw the people jumping into the water, but he or the other two crew members didn’t say anything. When the boat reached where there was a bacon, myself, Zebron and John that’s when we jumped off the boat about 20 meters in depth,” he said
“We jumped off the boat because there was a lot of panic and didn’t know where the boat was headed to. As we jumped into the water, I and my friends struggled to swim because the boat had reached the deep waters,” he added.
In cross examination, Chileshe admitted that they sneaked out of the camp to swim, thus did not have the blessings of their leaders.
He also admitted that they jumped into the rig boat without the permission of the crew members.
The prosecution team who include Counsels Victor Chongo, Ms Chisomo Mtolo Sikanyika and Ms Ottiliah Muhwende is expected to close the case on Thursday.
The six are Goodson Hamaila, Rodwell Chileshe, Ronald Libuku, Zebron Shikambo, Niza Muchiliba and Allan Mwaanga of Lusaka.
Credit: Daily Nation