President Edgar Lungu has pardoned 593 prisoners based in various correctional facilities across the country in the spirit of commemorating the 2018 Christmas day.
Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo said the pardoned inmates consist of convicts serving both short- and long-term sentences ranging from 6 months to 35years.
Mr. Kampyongo said of the 593 inmates, 532 are male while 43 are female and the President has done this in accordance with article 97 of the republican constitution which provides for Presidential Pardon.
The Home Affairs Minister who confirmed the development at a media briefing encouraged the families of the pardoned inmates and the public to embrace them.
Meanwhile, the Governance, Elections, Advocacy, Research Services says President Edgar Lungu must consider invoking the provisions of article 97 of the constitution of Zambia on the Prerogative of Mercy on Journalist Derrick Sinjela and Civic Activist, Gregory Cifire.
GEARS Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi said the two were convicted of contempt of the Supreme Court ensuing their comments on the Savenda Management Services Versus Stanbic Bank Zambia case disposed of by the same court and sentenced the duo to 18 months and six years respectively.
He said in this case the media houses and concerned citizens and organisations should consider petitioning the President to consider the plight of Rainbow Newspaper Editor in Chief Derrick and activist Gregory Cifire whose only crimes were to express their opinions on the judgement.
Mr. Chipenzi said for Mr. Sinjela, since he admitted that his opinion was wrong on the matter and respected the court by not absconding it’s hearing till the day of the judgement and further admitted that he erred and the court could not exercise leniency by giving him a non-custodial sentence but instead gave him 18 months custodial sentence, it is important that president Lungu, who has been a proponent of media freedoms in Zambia, considers invoking art 97 on Derrick Sinjela and also extend the same to Gregory who is now living in self-exile.
He said Gregory’s plight must also be considered seriously by the President as it deprives him his right and freedom to effective participation in national affairs and processes when in exile.
Mr. Chipenzi said as per guidance from the Constitution, the president only pardons or reduces a sentence for, the victims when they are convicted and serving a sentence which both are doing currently.
He said it is for and in this understanding that President Lungu is requested to pardon the two especially that in the recent past, the office of the President did not only exercise this function on a journalist like late Chanda Chimba III but also on some prominent persons such as Stephen Masumba, Dr. George Mpombo, and former Chisamba MP, Moses Muteteka among others convicted of various serious offences against the state ranging from forgery of academic qualifications to abuse of Constituency Development Fund.
Mr. Chipenzi said it will be gratifying to see the president act expeditiously on this request as it will come as Christmas or indeed New Year Gift to the media and NGO fraternity.
He has no moral campus to pardon anyone, he is a thief himself!
He should be in jail himself for stealing public money during the day, without parole ever. How has he got so rich so quick, a simple question deserving an answer.
What about umu guyz Keth Mutaka?
This is what happens when you elect chaps with no moral compass in State House!!
He has pardoned your rapeest father and your child defiler uncle and you say he has no moral campass. Impeach him if you think he has abused the constitution.
Come 2021 Lungu will be locked up along with his daughter and wife for theft from Treasury.
The ones eating with him will be state witnesses as was the case for Mr. Chiluba against whom Silwamba spilled the beans.
This is like trying to beg for water from a stone.
If we let the dictator in chief to get back into office in 2021, we’ll have ourselves to blame. We need to organize and vote this guy out in a landslide—to save the country from further damage. The guy has dictatorial tendencies and stifles freedom of speech in the country. We need a new President who will be a true champion of democracy, who is not intimidated by criticism, and who puts native Zambians first, over foreigners. Obviously he left the two incarcerated journalists in prison intentionally, because he can’t stand criticism. Their only crime was to exercise their right to freedom of speech. We’re now living in a totalitarian State with dictator Lungu at the helm. What a shame.
A good gesture however what we need are long term solutions to prison overcrowding and death camp conditions which our prisoners suffer from.
1. A reform of the judicial system in passing of custodial sentences for minor offences.
2. An improvement in the prison conditions which are amongst the worst in the world.
These are 2 very easy steps to take but for some reason no one seems to care.
Sinjela and Chifire have not served any prison terms to be pardoned. Examples of Mr. Mpombo, Muteteka, and Masumba were very wrong precedents.
If 6 out of 10 are Bembas, how many Bembas got pardoned? I have only a calculator, I don’t have a paper to use.
Do you drink whiskey or high strength lager whilst you are commenting!!
Around 318 are bembas
Hahaha , i’m dead Nostradamus .
And Chifire is supposed to thank Lazy Lungu ….really laughable
Let them rote in jail. In Zambia we have reckless journalists.
Savenda bought poor souls that had no idea about what savenda does he does behind the curtain
I have dealt with savenda my self. And I have seen people cry at the hands of savenda
Cifire and sinjela will be released but let that cadre talk panama account.
Savenda is money laundering group from Zimbabwe, bribing Lungu
Well and good Mr Lungu ,but Zambia will never pardon you for spiraling debt crisis, cholera deaths ,folks living amongst Lusaka garbage and Zambia’s economic stagnation.
Why should you consider bring back the mess.
Thank you Mr. President for the Xmas gift for the 593 family members.
A good gesture for petty criminals but if violent and repeat offenders are part of this release, you might be doing more harm than good.
Exemplary behavior is what should be the call to all the pardoned Criminals, the precedent of Kanene ought not to repeat itself. These criminals released back into innocent communities must be closely watched,otherwise they will start wreaking havoc and all officers who assessed and recommended the release of these people should be held to account if they start spreading the rot again. Having said that ,we are happy for them , welcome them and wish them good days with their families.
What is so special about Cifire and Sinjela. They are just ordinary citizens like you and me.
593 is way too many a number of felonies released into society. Granted Zambia justice system is just too trigger happy to send people to jail for a very long time over simple things like stealing an underwear or chicken. But still of they are going to be releasing hardcore criminals like murderers and paedophiles into society, they need to have a plan to rehabilitate them into society. If all these are just petty thieves and other low level crimes, then they need to reexamine and revisit the source of the issue, which is the courts and how they apply these jail sentences.
Let Chifire and Sinjela serve their terms in prison. Governance, Elections, Advocacy, Research Services is just trying to downgrade the Courts in Zambia. Otherwise this weird organisation must council their members never again to serve the interests of foreign powers to the detriment of Zambia.
Just imagine: Sometime back, Julius Malema had to travel to London to publicly criticize Nelson Mandela – and further told the world that he (Malema) was NOT a fan of Mandela. This political prostitution made racists whites dine with wine in celebration. Governance, Elections, Advocacy, Research Services must know what is best for Africa – and South Africa and Zambia in particular.
People are drinking some very strong stuff whilst submitting comments…really laughable.
Chifire and Sinjera must remain in prison.
Am sure some of those PF cadres who were jailed for violence are among these pardoned so that they continue their dirty work.
Out of 593, 532 are male and 43 are female, what about the 18? Are they trans genda? Or am I missing something??
Viliko masamu boyi kikiki
Unless they have resumed locking chickens for suspected witchcraft
This is a very stupid request. How does one pardon a jail breaker who has ran away. Running away is another crime in itself and one fool requests pardon. Sinjela has just spent a week. He must first learn his lesson.