President Edgar Lungu has today pardoned 2, 984 inmates to commemorate African Freedom Day which falls on 25th May 2020.
These include 2, 903 ordinary, 55 old aged, three medical cases, 11 compassionate and nine on the President pleasure while 12 are foreign nationals representing about 14 percent of the total inmate population.
Announcing the development at a media briefing today, Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo said among the pardoned under the President’s prerogative of mercy, 155 are females while 2, 829 are males.
Mr Kampyongo said the release of the inmates leaves the inmates population countrywide at 19, 248.
He said this action by President Lungu is in accordance with article 97 of the constitution of Zambia which provides for the Presidential pardon and substitution of severe punishment imposed on convicted persons.
Mr Kampyongo said in an effort to further decongest the correctional facilities due to the COVID-19 threat, his Ministry engaged the Director of Public Prosecution to consider giving bail or outright discharge to over 4,330 unconvinced inmates charged with miner cases and a total of 2, 719 unconvicted persons have been granted unconditional bail.
He said the Zambia Correctional Service has also been working hard to implement measures as directed by the World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Health to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Kampyongo said the Zambia Correctional Service Officers have also been working hard to ensure public health measures such as social distancing, sanitising, hand washing and wearing of face masks are adhered to during the admission of new or transferred inmates.
This is the time Lazy Lungu sneaks out his corrupt convicted friends ….he is very efficient at this role
Excellent, you have got a forgiving heart mr president,
Good move and thank you.
Dokowe – Every Zambian President does this every Freedom day …what’s there to thank..
2719 Granted unconditional bail plus the 2984 pardoned under article 97 ,in the history of zambia this is the president who has pardoned alot, to all the 5703 all we can say is lungu nafuti ,nafuti ,nafuti.
Violent, Corrupt Cadres are free now, in preparation for paying ba Ch@kolwa back via campaigning.
Ba J0na ba temwa Campaigning Sana, if he put as much effort into development & not stealing as he puts in campaigning, with all the resources we have Zambia would be a mini Dubai by now.
@Tarino Orange. I know man, it doesn’t mean it’s not a good move or we can’t say thank you however political it is at times.
What about Keith Mukata,is he among the pardoned? asking on behalf of a friend
Lets hope there is no one from the upnd, these people are ungreatifull, all they know is criticism
Hopefully the woman who was jailed for 15years for growing marijuana is on that list!
Seriously our justice system is disgusting. How can you jail a woman with children for 15years for such a silly offense?
This might backfire in future because the number is a bit too high. Nothing in politics is an accident, there is always an agenda.
Wow wow now this the dancing President Edgar we missed. 3000 pardoned, 3000 votes to PF. UPND go to strategy 3, Ba Edgar may win pofye.
But why not pardon all female prisoners? A Zambian woman in prison. Yes indeed, Keith Mutaka has served enough for his manslaughter. Pardon him, Kafue needs MP. Hope all Barotseland activists and UPND political prisoners are pardoned.
Nostradamus ,keith mukata is serving a death sentence not manslaugter,
IS THIS TARINO GAY A RESURRECTION OF THE FILTHY MOUTHED JAY JAY? HE IS LIKE AN IRRITATING FLY WITH HIS INANE COMMENTS. NO MANNERS AND ILL BRED.
Nostradamus, I dont agree that Keith should be released at all, he killed a person, and must at least serve two quarters of his sentence for ending someone’s life, and it was murder, not manslaughter.
With that being said, he will not be givena a pardon since he is UPND, I am sure the PF would have worked some magic if he was one of their own, we saw Maxwell Mwale being released as soon as he started supporting PF.
Can someone explain what it means when they say that 11 of those released were at the President’s pleasure? What about the rest?
A president has the power to pardon the punishment imposed on convicted persons. It is his constitutional right and he can lawfully do without the authority of an Act of Parliament. A list of inmates to be paroled is not made by the president but prison authorities and perhaps other influential people in PF government. Although each case is unique and involves a plethora of influences, I am sure most people will be intrigued by the list of released inmates. I wouldn’t blame this on the president.
Heart warming gesture by the President. It may mean nothing to evil sadists but it is everything to the families of the pardoned as they will reunite with their loved ones. Thank you President Lungu.
@ Zambia First, yes this Tarino character had told us on this platform a while ago that he’s living a happy life as a gay man (if not woman in his relationship) in the UK because Zambia does not condone that nonsense. Hence his bitterness towards everything to do with our country. He never has anything positive to say about Zambia, even when it’s obvious that something deserves credit. Bear with him!!
I hope the gay men who were convicted are part of this too.
I hope this list is published either in the gazette or somewhere where people can check on the names of who are pardoned.
@HAMAJATA …….YOU ARE A STUPID FOOL AS DEFINED BY OUR VERY OWN KK….. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYONE WITH A POLITICAL MARK ON THEIR FACE.. PEOPLE ARE FREE TO BELONG TO ANY PARTY OF THEIR CHOICE..DO YOU KNOW THAT PRESIDENT LUNGU AND VICE PRESIDENT WINA WERE ONCE IN UPND…. ITS PEOPLE LIKE U WHO BRING CHAOS TO NATIONS…..A FOOLISH FOOL INDEED….
Let’s ‘ve the complete list of the released inmates pliz.