Lusaka maids jailed 15 years for negligence leading to toddler’s death

Two Lusaka maids have been sentenced to 15 years in prison for negligence after a two-year-old boy died from swallowing a button battery, a tragic incident they concealed out of fear of losing their jobs.

Namoonga Masenge, 33, from Old Kanyama Compound, and Lina Musonda Chibuye, 45, from Ng’ombe Township, were found guilty of manslaughter after a lengthy trial at the Lusaka High Court.

The court heard that on May 18, 2020, the two were caring for young Andrew Lumba Miyoba, the son of civil servant, Miyanda Muntanga, when he swallowed the small battery.

Instead of seeking help, they chose to remain silent.

Muntanga testified that when she returned home that day, she noticed a strong smell of vomit and found her son cold to touch.

When she asked Namoonga about it, she was told the smell was from yogurt.

As the child’s condition worsened, his parents took him to Pendleton Hospital, where he was misdiagnosed with flu.

A second opinion at Medland Hospital revealed severe dehydration, prompting urgent treatment.

However, Andrew’s health continued to decline, and he collapsed the following day before passing away two hours later.

A day before the burial, a neighbor’s maid revealed that Lina had admitted knowing what had happened—Andrew had swallowed something, but she and Namoonga had kept quiet.

A postmortem later confirmed that the cause of death was a button battery lodged in the child’s trachea.

During the trial, both women denied understanding the seriousness of the situation.

Namoonga admitted she saw the child vomit but did not investigate, while Lina admitted she suspected he had swallowed something but failed to act.

High Court Judge Mwila Kombe ruled that their negligence amounted to manslaughter, emphasizing that they had prioritized their jobs over the life of the child entrusted to them.

She sentenced both women to 15 years in prison, with the sentence starting from their arrest on August 3, 2020.

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