music in appreciation after Youth and Sports Deputy minister Stephen
Masumba (not in picture) donated assorted soccer kits including pairs
of jerseys and footballs to Solwezi prisons football team in Solwezi
Chipata Central Correctional Centre Officer In-Charge Singendaba Mumbuwa has revealed that overcrowding remains a serious problem at correctional facilities in Eastern province.
He told High Court Judge Mwiinde Siavwapa during the official opening of Chipata High Court that most of the facilities were faced with overcrowding.
Mr Mumbuwa said as at 06:00 hours, Chipata Correctional Centre housed 1,030 inmates followed by Lundazi Correctional Centre which had 380 inmates.
He said Petauke had 276 inmates with Katete 258 and Nyimba 227 inmates bringing the total to 2, 171 inmates. The correctional facilities were built for a small population, for instance Chipata was built for 400 inmates.
In February, during the official opening of the Criminal and civil sessions of the High Court in Chipata , High Court Judge Mwila Chitabo said frequent high court sessions had helped to reduce congestion.He had however appealed to parliament to kindly review the sentencing powers of magistrates as most of the cases were referred to the high court for sentencing.
He said the magistrates continue to have limited powers to sentence perpetrators of the cases.The judge said a check on the criminal cause list of the cases before his court shows that Gender Based Violence has continued to increase.
“As they wait for sessions like this one, convicts are detained in our already overcrowded prisons without certainty of their fate which they only get after the High Court sentencing sessions,”Mr Justice Chitabo said.
It’s simple because chitabo keeps postponing court hearings, is this not the same judge who was asked to recuse himself by UPND, he keeps postponing their right to be heard case.
This headline, in other words reads ” Eastern Province Faced With Increased Crime Due to Failed PF Leadership”.
Actually this is not news. All correctional facilities in Zambia are overcrowded. Don’t give us such stories as news. It’s like you telling us that the sun today rose in the east.
Singing Gospel is not going to help anyone. Put them to work on building roads and building schools etc. Teach them skills while in there and then put them on work release programs.
For those who have not seen hell, go to Zambian prisons. You don’t need to go any where to see hell. The congestion is unacceptable. You can’t believe there is a government in place when you enter prison, you come out with worse disease. And you can’t even believe that in Zambia there is a human rights commission as well as a lawyer president.