Inmates at the Gwembe Police cell have been sharing a twenty litre container to relieve themselves, after the toilet system got blocked several years ago.
A check this morning found a yellow container that has been cut in half balancing on top of the toilet pan and is used as a lid for the blocked toilet as well as for answering the call of nature.
IT was further confirmed that the inmates empty the used container in a nearby ditch, about 15 metres from the police station, accompanied by an armed officer.
The container is emptied and rinsed with plain water once or twice a day, depending on the frequency and number of inmates at a given time.
Gwembe Police officer- in-charge, Tundwe Chisanga confirmed that the problem had been on- going for over several years now and attributed the sad situation to lack of funding and inadequate office space for the police department.
The squared police cell that is about 2 metres wide poses a health hazard to both inmates as well as police officer due to the stench that emanates from the blocked toilet and the over-crowding.
Gwembe District Commissioner, Raymond Nampindi said his office was not aware of the unhealthy situation as the matter was not brought to his attention.
Mr. Nampindi who then visited the police cell to have a spot check was moved by the pathetic condition in which inmates were in and promised to rectify the problem next week.
And Gwembe Administrative Officer, Matthias Fundi has appealed to well-wishers to help supply the police cell with disinfectants to ensure inmates stayed in a healthy environment.
Mr. Fundi said the small size of the police cell put inmates at risk of contracting contagious diseases.
“It is a sad situation. All of us are potential culprits. Anybody can be pushed in a cell – even on false accusations. Some senior officers have been pushed in there and when they came out, they wanted to resign. It is not a good place,” he said.
In another development, a 33 year old man of Lumuno village in Gwembe today displayed at the district administration office, charms that where discovered in his house earlier this week.
Staywell Hamoonga displayed the charms in the full view of the District Commissioner, the Administrative Officer and other government staff.
Hamoonga narrated that he was forced to seek intervention from a Zionist prophet after seven years of torment.
He said the charms were used on his wife in the night each time they go to bed.
Hamoonga disclosed that the two pieces of bones that were rapped with human hair, beads, 17 needles, and a mirror glass were responsible for his unsatisfying sexual relationship in their marriage.
Hamoonga who is a security guard at Gwembe clinic said that he fears for his life and plans to leave the village.
These charms need laboratory check, we might be sitting on “Gold” for export to the western world ka! for example, some countries in the western world need lightening for power generation and other uses. Just imagine we establish a laboratory in Gwembe to make lightening, we could be exporting these things and eventually improving the lives of many people languishing in poverty in Gwembe. Kano ngafyaba sungu…………….
Prisoners are human too, and even though some of their rights are restricted, surely they deserve dignity of a human being. They are not animals to be maltreated in this manner. It’s a human rights minus for this government. It’s incidences like these that paid black government’s work
I thought charms like he had are for satisfying not unsatisfying women:-?
don’t just ask for disinfectants my fundi..what is the govt doing about it…its true,anyone can be pushed into prison anytime…
Guy pollss mulesunga bwino abenenu, limbi naimwe kuti mwaya ukukwinw after 2011