To mark his 63rd birthday which falls today,President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has pardoned five inmates from various correctional facilities.
The President has pardoned Chief Mulongwe, Former Minister in the Movement for Multiparty Democracy(MMD) government Maxwell Mwale,journalist Derrick Sinjela, Afumba Mombotwa, and former Zambia Airforce commander Christopher Singogo.
The President’s action is in line with Article 97 of the Constitution of Zambia Chapter (1) of the Laws of Zambia which provides for the Presidential pardon and substitution of severe punishments imposed on the convicted.
Meanwhile, Defence Chiefs have presented birthday gifts to the President to mark his 63rd birthday which falls today , 11th November, 2019.
The Defence Chiefs presented various gifts to the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces at State House at a short ceremony which was attended by uniformed men and women from the Zambia Army,Zambia Airforce, Zambia National Service, Zambia Correctional Services and Immigration Department including members of Staff of State House and some senior Government officials.
Immediately the President walked into the credentials room at State House, he was welcomed to a heart-warming Happy birthday melody sang by the Defence Forces, including State House members of Staff.
The ceremony was also punctuated by the traditional cutting of the cake which marks the birthday ceremony’s crescendo.
In response to this gesture,the President said he was humbled by the love that the Defence Forces had shown him, and jokingly said: “I am 36” a reversal of 63 years.
The President called for teamwork in the Defence Forces and all fields across the country’s sectors, if national development was to be achieved.
He said his success depended on teamwork across the country’s sectors.
The President thanked God Almighty for sustaining him.
Earlier, Zambia Army Commander Lientant General William Sikazwe congratulated the President on his birthday and prayed that God Almighty will continue to give him wisdom as he leads the nation.
Lieutenant General Sikazwe said it was gratifying that the President’s birthday was falling on the day that the First World War came to an end signifying peace.
General Sikazwe quipped, “When we are jogging , you are always ahead of us yet you are 63.”
Issued by Isaac Chimpampe
Special Assistant to the President (Press and Public relations)
Congratulations man.
11/11, very strange numbers.
And thanks for Derrick’s release, journalists job well done for petitioning for your friend.
Others released seems deserving too.
This is a good month for Ba Edgar.
This is a constitutional prerogative of whoever is head of state. Some pardons are controversial. Bill Clinton, for example, pardoned Marc Rich a convicted tax dodger during the final days of his presidency. Most people weren’t amused.
The pardons are all unfair. All the five are high profile offenders. What about the common men and women serving sentences for stealing a neighbour chicken or killing an impala to feed their starving families?
WHAT DOES LUNGU’S BIRTHDAY GOT TO DO WITH PARDONING PEOPLE HE INCARCERATED ON TRUMPED UP CHARGES. SINJELA THE JOURNALIST WAS INNOCENT FROM DAY ZERO AND WROTE ABOUT LUNGU’S CORRUPTION AND PF AND YOU JAIL HIM AND YOU WANT US TO SING PRAISES FOR YOU. MOMBOTWA AND THE REST WERE JAILED FOR QUESTIONING THE PF POLICY BECAUSE SATA PROMISED THEM INDEPENDENCE AND LATER CHANGED HIS MIND AFTER LOZIS VOTED FOR HIM. ABOUT THE OTHER FORMER MMD, POLITICAL FRIENDS AND AIRFORCE COMMANDER, THOSE ARE LUNGU’S FELLOW THIEVES AND WE WILL ALSO JAIL LUNGU AND HIS MINIONS FOR CORRUPTION, VIOLENCE AND FOR THE DEATH OF MAPENZI AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE KILLED UNDER LUNGU AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF. VIVA UPND AND HH 2021
This is like the the days of Mobutu seseko kuku nbendu zabanga. The eternal one. Just watch a documentary ‘Mobutu King of Zaire’ . You will draw the parallel with your dear brother leader. He thinks he is God’s gift to Zambians.
The 13th Desciple
The similarities are glaring,read Michela Wrong’s In The Footsteps of Mr Kurtz,a book about Mobutu,you will think you are reading about Lungu,especially the part where Mobutu encourages his friends to steal but not to finish everything…
Barotse Transitional Government celebrate, but not enough!
Thanks for the release of President Afumba Mombotwa, but where is:
1.Hon. Kalima Inambao; and
2.Hon. Pelekelo Kalima?
Free Kalima Inambao, Free Pelekelo Kalima – gallant Barotseland independence activists!
Happy Birthday President Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, indeed it takes team work to acheive any good thing even to win a game players should work as a team…. Team work brings development.
Some criminal offences should become non pardonable.
Bwana Lungu let’s not mix the personal and the national issues please.
ECL is doing this so when he goes to jail for murdering mother Zambia he can hope to be released. What an a$$hole
What was to cost to mother Zambia to celebrate the birthday of the biggest and most corrupt individual in all of Zambia.
We are suffering and he is celebrating a birthday paid for by Zambia
Congratulations Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu. You’re indeed a President with very rich sense of humour. You’re my birthyear mate. Happy Birthday My President.
Of course he can enjoy and celebrate his birthday far from reality eating cakes and full of gluttony while his poor subjects starve and live in darkness. Only a dull tribal empty tin will vote lungu. Africans can no longer blame colonialism or slavery for their failures. Blaming others for your own greed and failure 400 years later.
What’s his birthday got to do with pardoning inmates? Mixing State functions and a personal issue. The line-up of the released are the privileged – they can now go back and enjoy some of the proceeds of their crimes – some committed in public office against the people. The privileged doing each other favours, as usual. The poor who stole a few coins because they were hungry, continue to languish in jail for years on end.
Still too many political prisoners in our Zambian prisons! This released group is but a drop in the ocean of political prisoners who don’t deserve to be in Jail in a true Democracy! Zambia is truly walking in the shadow of former ZAIRE!
The pardoned are actually 4, the barotse activist was removed from the list.
talking too much and it has caused their friend not be released. They already start calling him a Hero and start lobby for the other terrorist
It is a prerogative. Don’t decide for him whom he shall pardon. Also, he could have done it on Easter, I don’t know. Vinangu ivi let’s extricate the person and study the provision. Change the law if you are not happy. Koma ngati ni weve! Awe mwe.
The president is the great leader with a heart of a Dove, he loves even those hating and insulte him all the time,how many of us can have such a heart this time of era? We need to work and support his government as the current adminitrator of this country.
“The president is the great leader with a heart of a Dove”
I cant believe any Zambian experiencing 15 hours of loadshading,high mealie and fuel prices,joblessness can say this nonsense.
PRESIDENT EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU WRITES
To me, Leadership is not about the next election but the next generation.
With some debate, some writers have attributed the British Statesman Winston Churchill to the following words: “What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?”
It occurred to me that the task for each one of us is to find a cause – not for self gratification or glory – but for national good, even after we are gone. It is this realization that has formented my belief in what I said on 18th September 2015 that:
“At the stroke of midnight on 24th October, 2064, Zambia should awaken to one undeniable truth and reality: that ours was a generation of…
Who gives a damn f**k!