A former magistrate, Chama Mutambalilo, is seeking K5 million in compensation from Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LWSC) for breach of contract after the utility allegedly disconnected water supply at his Kamwala South property without notice.
In a lawsuit filed in the Lusaka High Court, Mutambalilo claims that LWSC unlawfully sent workers to remove his water meter and uproot pipes on December 29, 2022, despite the fact that he had always paid his water bills and had no outstanding balance. He is demanding the court declare the company’s actions as illegal and defamatory, as well as an order for punitive and exemplary damages for the distress caused.
The dispute stems from a 2011 agreement where Mutambalilo contracted LWSC for water supply, after being advised that water from his private borehole was unsafe for drinking. He paid a K5,000 capital contribution, which he completed in 2012, to secure a connection to the utility’s water system, and he continued to meet his payment obligations.
According to the statement of claim, Mutambalilo was shocked when LWSC workers arrived at his property, shouted at him, and allegedly used disrespectful language in front of neighbors while disconnecting his water supply and damaging his property.
Mutambalilo’s legal team is now seeking the court’s intervention to rectify what they argue was an unjustified and unlawful action by the water utility.
