Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL) has refuted any wrong doing and has refused to pay damages to it’s former manager who sued the company for unfair dismissal following an incident where he cleared former president Edgar Lungu at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) without undergoing full security screening.
In this case, Kasonde, who held the position of Manager for Aviation Security (AVSEC), is claiming damages of K5.5 million for mental distress.
Kasonde said he was employed by AVSEC as manager until his dismissal on February 10, 2025 after serving one year of a three-year renewable contract. 
He said his efforts to appeal against the dismissal were unsuccessful, as the verdict was upheld.
According to him, the events leading to his dismissal occurred on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at KKIA, when a security breach was allegedly recorded after Lungu was cleared without passing through an Arch-Way Metal Detector by the security screening staff.
Kasonde through his lawyers, demands K5.5 million from the company for the loss he estimates from the remainder of his contract.
But the corporation in it’s reply filed in the Lusaka High Court says Kasonde is not entitled to the amount claimed in his demand letter dated April 7, 2025 because he was summarily dismissed after being subjected to the the disciplinary process as per company’s Grievance Procedure and Disciplinary Code ,2022 and as required by law.
The defendant refuted any wrongdoing on its part and maintains that the plaintiff is not entitled to any claims mentioned in his demand letter dated April 7, 2025.
ZACL states that Kasonde was charged and later dismissed for failing to report an irregularity to his superiors regarding a security breach.
It says there is material evidence to support the charge of failure to report irregularity or malpractice by a member of staff or customer to higher authorities.
“Consequently, the plaintiff is not entitled to any of the reliefs he is seeking before this court,and thus his claims should be dismissed with costs to the defendant,” ZACL submitted.
