Minister of Religious Affairs Godfridah Sumaili says people who have been incarcerated for various offences are not in Correctional facilities to be punished but to be rehabilitated and corrected from their wrong deeds.
Reverend Sumaili said government decided to change the name of the Prison Services to Correctional services so that the facilities could operate as a form of rehabilitation and correction centre for those charged with various offences.
The Minister noted that President Edgar Lungu is keen on ensuring that inmates come out of the correctional facilities as better people having undergone rehabilitation.
Reverend Sumaili was speaking at Chainama East Correctional Hospital in Lusaka today when she donated assorted food stuffs and groceries to the facility worth approximately K6,000.
She said her ministry has decided to visit and donate to inmates in order to show God’s love for every human being ahead of the commemoration of the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation.
Zambia will on 29th December commemorate the declaration of the country as a Christian nation under the theme, “sustained unity in diversity.”
She reiterated that her ministry will continue to work with the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure the transformation of inmates in all correctional facilities countrywide.
And Correctional Services Deputy Commissioner General Lloyd Chilundika disclosed that Chainama East Correctional Hospital currently has 120 inmates with special needs in the custody.
Mr. Chilundika said Chainama East Correctional Hospital is among the three facilities that care for inmates with special needs from across the country.
The Deputy Commissioner General thanked government for the massive infrastructure development that have been undertaken at various facilities across Zambia.
He disclosed that in addition to what has been built, the correctional service will next year embark on the construction of 3 ultramodern facilities at Mwembeshi Correctional facility.
He thanked the Minister and her team for donating to the facility which houses inmates with special needs.
A listening president would have closed this ministry a long time ago and deploy the monies towards education! The donation to Chainama could have been made by Home Affairs or Social Services. Providing meal allowances for students at the university would make more sense than the continued existence of this ministry.
The most stu….d ministry I heared of……
Totally wrong to call a mental hospital a correction facility. Major hospitals do indeed have a ward for inmates or extra security, but don’t call it a prison.
Hospital is health facility, prison is correction facility.
People at Chainama are not criminals, but mental patients.
The minister with nothing to do still trying to find something to do like donating to prisons to make herself relevant. Btw I didn’t see you at the penthouse party ba honourable.
This woman has a selective implementation of her religious and moral policies. Eaba bacita ifyabupuba mumayanda elyo baisa mukatushinga butter. Bring Zodwa, not Dora Siliya, back and apologise to her, unreservedly! Fuseki.
Irrelevant Ministry.