He was speaking in Kabwe today when he addressed hundreds of prisoners at Mukobeko maximum security prison
The Prisoner Reintegration and Empowerment Organisation (PREO) has commended President Edgar Lungu for commuting death sentences of over 300 prisoners to life imprisonment.
PREO director Derrick Malumo said the move by the Head of State clearly demonstrates government’s strong political will to improving the welfare of prisoners.
Mr. Malumo further praised President Lungu for his commitment to improving the general conditions of all prisons across the country.
He said this in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday.
And Mr. Malumo has extolled President Edgar Lungu for elevating the Commissioner of Prisons Percy Chato to the position of Commissioner General of Prisons.
He said the move will expand the staffing in the Prisons Service thereby creating more employment opportunities in the service.
Yesterday Lusaka based musician, Cliford Dimba, popularly known as ‘General’ Kanene who was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment and hard labour for defiling a 14-year-old girl walked to freedom after President Edgar Lungu pardoned him.
And 322 prisoners whose sentences were commuted from death row to life imprisonment openly wept after President Lungu reduced their sentences.
President Lungu has since appointed Kanene aged 27 as good ambassador Against Gender Based (GBV) and asked him to be of good behavior as he speaks for women and children whose rights are violated.
“As you walk out of these walls I am calling on you to be of good behavior and be a good ambassador for GBV in our country. Please don’t disappoint me, don’t let me down, ”President Lungu.
Mr Lungu who is the first President to visit Mukobeko Maximum prison since 1974 said he was of an idea that Kanene would assist in sensitizing the public against GBV.
Dimba was sentenced of 18 years with hard labour by Lusaka high court judge, Chalwe Mchenga for defiling the girl and stated that Dimba’s defilement of the girl was premeditated, an action which resulted in him having unlawful sex with a girl under the age of 16.
But Dimba has through one of his defence lawyers, Nicholas Chanda appealed against the conviction and sentence saying both Mr Justice Mchenga and Mr Kaoma erred in law and fact when they convicted and later sentenced his client.
And Kanene who knelt and shed tears praised President Lungu for pardoning him and for giving him an opportunity to be a voice for woman and children.
And Several gospel musicians mobbed Kanene while President of Zambian Musician Njoya Tembo praised President Lungu’s move to pardon Kanene and that clearly Kanene had exhibited he regretted what happened and has continued to preach to people through his music.
And in commuting the sentences of 322 condemned inmates President Lungu said this was in accordance to Article 56 of the constitution of Zambia and advised the pardoned inmates to take advantage of the life skills training programmes being offered at the facility.
President Lungu who also the condemned section further said the skills which inmates will acquire will help them to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.
And after the announcement most prisoners who were on death row openly wept while others knelt and prayed.
And one of the prisoner who spoke on behalf others James Musonda paid tribute to President Lungu for showing love and care towards prisoners and appealed to him to continue.
He cited the recent commutation of sentences of prisoners whose case records went missing
Meanwhile, President Lungu has said government was committed in improving the dignity of prisoners by making prisons more habitable and pledged that his government will strive to improve services in all the correctional and rehabilitation institutions.
The President said government was working tirelessly to resolve the challenges of overcrowding so as to improve the welfare of the inmates and pointed out that overcrowding makes it difficult for the prison services to observe the United Nations (UN) minimum standard rules and other international protocols.
He revealed that government was determined to amend the Zambia Prisons Services Act, CAP 97 to include provisions that will facilitate the construction of prisons on a public private partnership.
The President that the amending of the Zambia Prisons Services would help in addressing congestion and improving infrastructure for inmates.
“We will ensure that we build on our efforts of resolving the challenge of overcrowding and improving the state of our prisons, “he said.
Among those in attendance during President visit includes Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda, Home Affairs Deputy Minister Panji Kaunda, Sydney Mushanga, Education, Central Province deputy Minister Davis Chisopa, Permanent Secretary Edwidge Mutale, District Commissioner’s and senior government officials.
He was speaking in Kabwe today when he addressed hundreds of prisoners at Mukobeko maximum security prison
He was speaking in Kabwe today when he addressed hundreds of prisoners at Mukobeko maximum security prison
He was speaking in Kabwe today when he addressed hundreds of prisoners at Mukobeko maximum security prison
He was speaking in Kabwe today when he addressed hundreds of prisoners at Mukobeko maximum security prison
He was speaking in Kabwe today when he addressed hundreds of prisoners at Mukobeko maximum security prison
He was speaking in Kabwe today when he addressed hundreds of prisoners at Mukobeko maximum security prison
He was speaking in Kabwe today when he addressed hundreds of prisoners at Mukobeko maximum security prison
He was speaking in Kabwe today when he addressed hundreds of prisoners at Mukobeko maximum security prison
He was speaking in Kabwe today when he addressed hundreds of prisoners at Mukobeko maximum security prison
He was speaking in Kabwe today when he addressed hundreds of prisoners at Mukobeko maximum security prison
He was speaking in Kabwe today when he addressed hundreds of prisoners at Mukobeko maximum security prison
There is no doubt that we need innovation around prisons. The easy way of just locking me behind bars is just so archaic old fashioned and outdated. Prisons are supposed to be reform centers and rehabilitation centers . We can turn our prisons in serious money making machines for the state
Can you please investigate reports that prison warders in Isoka at (Isoka Prison) are allowing prisoners/convicts to beat up the fellows prisoners to death while working in the Fields and bury them just there and claim that the said prisoner ran away. This has happened for the 5th time this year.
Isnt this human rights abuse of the highest order? While the Republican President is reducing death sentences to life imprisonment, prison warders are busy encouraging that through mass killings.
A lot of prisoners are being killed in a similar fashion.
who ever kills by the sword should be let free
Ba Lusaka Times,please slow down. You are now overpraising Lungu for nothing. encourage him to improve the economy and not to concetrate on less important things.
Of course commuting death sentences is very much welcome.
Due to the weak economy why can’t a minister or Vice President visit ? The head of state have meetings with stakeholders or changing the constitution. Got 100 ministers together with PS that’s there jobs .
The judge erred, Kanene’s case had no substantial evidence. The age of the girl was questionable. In law for one to be convicted they must be sufficient evident which wasn’t the case with Kanene’s issue.
If the evidence was not substantal, it does not call for a Presidential pardon. A presidential pardon may be based on illness, age, clean record in jail, etc and based on the tenure one has saved. Procedurely, The President has no powers to pardon somebody based on court evidence. If the evidence in court was shaky, President Lungu cant assume the role of being a lawyer for Kanene and pardoning him. The Supreme court is the last you have to convince and Kanene was found wanting by the magistrates court,high court and supreme court and here you are saying evidence was shaky. Can you wake up
Ba Fackson muli chikopo sana naimwe. Who tells you that the president can only pardon someone if the person is sick. A Presidential pardon is a prerogative of the president. He chooses who he should pardon with recommendation from prison authorities. No one can question his choice.
A death sentence is not a solution. Besides many innocent people have been hanged on mistaken identity. Lets just make prisons more habitable becomes crime will always be with us.
Kanene sings a political song praising Edgar Lungu and he has his 18 year sentence wiped out. He does not even sing a song to denounce defilement to show remorse and is even appointed ambassador against defilement, how laughable. In the song Kanene even advises the authorities that guys whilst i am praising you i am still in Jail. And he gets a pardon just like that. unbelievable that you can have an 18 year jail term wiped out just by praising the President of a country. No reference to the gravity of the offence. People with non serious offences are languishing in there
Lazy Lungu and his so called Christian Nation …really laughable..its just utterly disgraceful what this bum is doing!
Iwe it was not a girl, but a woman…
It’s good to see such quick transformation of prisons in response to citizen concerns. Again His Excellency shows that he is listening to citizens.
There is some discomfort here! Sexual misconduct against underage girls is a serious issue and much as the action of pardoning such prisoners go, I think we should adopt a monitoring system to ensure they do not offend again. I think we should adopt Western style Sexual Offenders Register, that’s if we don’t have one.
All in all, this is going in the right direction. In USA the President makes a symbolic pardoning of a Turkey every thanksgiving……well let’s hope we don’t end up with Turkey with our pardonings!
He was hanging out where he felt the most comfortable, with fellow criminals.
It is a double aged sword.Those whose relatives were murdered by those who were on death row are not happy.Life imprisonment is still torture.The next president must release them.In fact if i was the president,i will release ALL the prisoners in Zambia so that there is NO congestion!!!
You people who live abroad and only know how to condemn the president, whether you like or not, nothing will change. he is an elected president and there is nothing you can about it. so keep quiet or come back home you refugees.
Kanene’s arrest was just a push to his destiny.
ECL is wrong. Pardoning Kanene becoz he massaged his ego and made him feel important? And Pilato becoz he criticised him? And Mmembe?
What message are you sending to the family of the defiled girl? That you support the criminal?
Time will tell. Ask your ‘advisor’ RB.
I see Kanene being given a Heroes receiption, Ndeloleshafye
What the fu.ck is wrong with the captions, or is it just my computer
Kanene is a reformist.who can tell me that he has never erred in life?Bravo to president for pardoning Kanene
Capital punishment is barbaric and so is the pardoning of rapists.
What a fcuked up country! Taxpayers will continue to feed and shelter these 300 animals! Zambia is the only country where we let one person to mutilate the laws of the country for his selfish motives.
What kind of a country which glorifies a paedophile? Punishment is supposed to act as a deterrent, the victims and their relatives want closure by seeing the sentence carried out! The 300 murderers and society rejects should have been hanged! Kanene should spend every second of his 18 years stretch inside! That’s the example we need.
Ass-kissing should not be tolerated as a way of escaping justice, just because someone lick youknowwho balls and kiss his ass, then he should be given a jail free card?! Justice has gone to the dogs!