Air Zim sued for neglecting travelling minors

By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |

Air Zimbabwe faces a $175,000 lawsuit for reportedly neglecting two minors its crew was supposed to take care of during a flight to South Africa in March this year.

A Harare couple (names withheld) took the matter to the High Court where, through summons issued under case number HC995t6/16, it is seeking redress for breach of an agreement for allegedly neglecting the minors whose names were not given.

The couple alleges that it bought Air Zimbabwe tickets for the children who were visiting an aunt in South Africa.

The airline crew was supposed to give attention to the children but, “the defendant failed to fulfill its obligations in that it failed to provide assistance to the minor children”.

“The first and second plaintiffs (the minors) were left unattended and were not escorted off the flight as agreed. The defendant’s employees connived with a third party, who is not known to the plaintiff, to be with the children, collected their baggage and almost went away with them to an unknown destination,” said the applicants.

They alleged that the travelling stranger was given the children’s travel documents and helped them through immigration, arguing that the decision traumatised the minors.

The applicants indicated that Air Zimbabwe had admitted being at fault, but was refusing to compensate them.

“Despite acknowledging its liability in writing, the defendant has failed to compensate the plaintiffs for the trauma, pain and suffering caused to them,” the couple said.

The national airline will defend itself. Nehanda Radio