President Edgar Lungu has pardoned an additional 249 inmates as part of the commemoration of the Africa Freedom Day.
The measure has also been taken to decongest correctional facilities to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Announcing a development at a media briefing in Lusaka today, Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo said the action is in accordance with Article 97 of the Zambian Constitution.
Mr Kampyongo said this Constitution provision provides for Presidential Pardon and Substitution of Severe Punishments imposed on the convicted persons.
He explained that among the pardoned, 238 are males while 11 are females.
Mr. Kampyongo said this action brings the cumulative number of pardoned inmates 3,242 by the President in commemorating the 2020 Africa Freedom Day.
He said this has also reduced the inmate population in Zambia 19,000 as at 27th May, 2020 and that no COVID-19 case has been recorded in Zambia since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Earlier, President Lungu pardoned two men who were jailed last year for having sex with each other. President Lungu extended the Prerogative of Mercy to two men of Kapiri Mposhi who were jailed last year in November for practicing homosexuality.
According to a Government Gazette obtained in which names of the over 2,900 prisoners pardoned by President Lungu to commemorate Africa Freedom Day have been printed, Japhet Chataba and Stephen Sambo’s names featured in the Gazette.
The two men have since only served six months in jail and have acquired their freedom through the President’s Constitutional powers.
Their 15-year sentence triggered a diplomatic row, which ended in the recalling of the US ambassador Daniel Foote.
Last November, the Lusaka High Court sentenced the two men for having sex “against the order of nature”.
They had booked into a lodge, and a worker peeped through an open window and saw them having sex, the court heard.
At the time, Mr. Foote said he was “horrified” by the sentencing.
Mr. Foote implored the Zambian government to review the case and its homosexuality laws, but then faced a backlash for his comments.
The government felt that the ambassador was trying to use the aid money that the US gives as leverage.
In response the diplomat’s comments, President Lungu then said that he did not “want such people in our midst. We want him gone as he was undesired element in society”.
Mr Foote was recalled to Washington in December.
This man, he just goof at pardoning inmates.
The citizens want to hear about good news of the economy and how it is performing, measures put in place to mitigate the effects og corruption and mismanagement of our resources.
I’m tired of inmates being released for what reason i don’t know.
Come on Edgar Lungu, be like a romantic man my friend!
Give us hope even though we discredit it.
PF must go!
Of the 2,900 prisoners pardoned by President Lungu to commemorate Africa Freedom, 90% are Bemba/Bisa serving jail terms for thieving, murder and sexual misconduct!
@Roy Mudenda
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More thieves thrown into our compounds. There was need for these released guys to get the implant which they put in peoples bodies in Europe now to monitor movement. Remember among the released we have the good ones and those who cant reform.
Now bring in the big fishes, like the owner of the 48 houses if you’ve found out who. There’s now too much space , fill it up by those emptying the state coffers ok.
I wonder where those bloggers who were insulting Foote are….this is the leadership of Lazy Lungu anyway let him free up some space for 2021!!
Very good.
Pardon 2500 each week.
Ahh so the president is on the back foote.
Very interesting to watch Lungu conduct pardons. I hope it will really sink in when a future president pardons Lungu as well. It is not in doubt that Lungu will test this same environment from which he his freeing these citizen brothers and sisters. Lungu has disgraced and destroyed this country through corruption, lawlessness and severe policy blunders to the extent that his future punishment will atone for his constitutional infractions.Zambia is now a laughing stock of the region!
Lt comments like this one from Roy mudenda should not be published it has got potential of fruelling genocid,what role does zicta play sure? The op should move in because we are sitting on a time bomb
MR PRESIDENT PAY RETIREES AT PSPF.
Most likely another brown envelop coming from the Far East for this sudden turn around. Awe mwandi!
Trying to get back into’ good books’ with the Americans?
Next it will be spax.