The People’s Alliance for Change has appealed to President Edgar Lungu to consider pardoning inmates that have committed minor crimes and do not pose huge danger to society in an effort to decongest correctional facilities in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in Zambia.
Party President Andyford Banda says the decision should be made in the spirit of embracing social distancing in the overcrowded facilities as advised by the Health Care Providers.
Mr Banda said the current hygiene levels in most correctional facilities do not help in preventing the spread of the virus.
He said unless the President acts now using his Presidential powers, the Coronavirus will spread rapidly in congested Zambian correctional facilities thereby endangering not only inmates and correctional Officers but the general public as well.
Mr Banda said as the country prepares for further spread of the pandemic with 16 cases reported so far, President Lungu should take immediate steps to limit the risk posed by mass confinement, including those with a few months remaining to complete their jail terms.
Further, Mr Banda said testing should be extended to new convicts in congested correctional facilities to avoid exporting the virus into the facilities.
He has also asked the Inspector General of Police Mr Kakoma Kanganja to find ways of decongesting Police Cells another area where the virus can rapidly spread if it breaks out.
“It is a well known fact that suspects in Zambia spend more time in cells before they can appear in court, a situation which should be avoided in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Police should take stock of the people in Cells and consider releasing those that have committed minor offenses to decongest Police Cells”, he added.
Mr Banda said the government should also consider temporarily employing nurses that are on the streets to respond to the threat of corona virus in markets, bus stations, shopping malls and other strategic public places.
He said the Ministry of Transport should also consider instructing bus operators to reduce on passengers on commuter buses.
The solution to prison decongestion is not to release prisoners but to expand the prisons. those people are in prison for a purpose
He should not think because he came number 4 in the last elections he will come number 1 this time, it does not work that way. Just cooperate with the alliance.
Your comments are noted. This was actually raised in one of our high level covid 19 daily meetings. We will revert to you . In future contact us directly rather than doing an HH by going to media.
Pleas don’t release the PF gassing suspects ,
And why was PF gassing our people in the first place ???
Congestion of Prisons is partly due to failures and inconsistencies in our Judicial system. Why should a person who is convicted of stealing a chicken receive a custodial sentence of 5 years? These are cases that require Community service.
Actually just ban 18min bus sitter !!
Ba Kz, were you even invited to the meetings, your inferiority complex is amazing. Also, why does HH pop up in everything?
Make use of these prisoners, during coronavirus outbreak to collect and cremate dead bodies. They will work along with the military.
ACTION APPEAL
Please Mr President Edgar Changwa Lungu, please declare a state of emergency and call for a TOTAL LOCKDOWN FOR TWO WEEKS while COVID-19 cases are still low in order to save zambian lives.Tomorrow will be too late for some Zambian lives, do it now please.
The prisoner’s should follow the measures put in place by the ministry of health, and for the new prisoner’s they should be quarantined at a different prison and they should be taken for screening and testing before they join other prisoner’s.
Is a good idea they are pardoned by HE to save them from the deadly vir
well said ba andyford
Busy copying,you can’t think on your own
Lungu’s lazy attitude to the coronavirus infection is criminal. He must be charged for this nonchalant & slow to react appropriately conduct that puts lives at risk.
Why did he host that cabinet meeting this week where he failed to keep an appropriate distance from his ministers & raising the possibility that he may have infected others in the cabinet & beyond with whatever “corona fimo fimbi” that see to be eating him up! Did you see his face!!