. Sikazwe

By SYLVIA MWEETWA AND MUSONDA MANGILASHI –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has pardoned 847 inmates from different correctional facilities across the country as part of this year’s Christmas celebrations.
The move has been hailed by the Democratic Governance and Human Rights Advocacy (DEGHA) president Gerald Mutelo, who has paid tribute to President  Lungu on his stance to release prisoners, describing the move as progressive.
Zambia Correctional Services Copperbelt commanding officer Wilson Mbewe said this in Kitwe yesterday when Presidential Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe and Presidential Empowerment Initiative Fund (PEIF) patron Chanda Kabwe donated four heads of cattle to the Kamfinsa State Correctional Centre as part of the Christmas celebrations.
Mr Mbewe told Mr Sikazwe that among the 847 pardoned prisoners were 145 that were released on special amnesty, 14 old-age inmates, eight physically disabled and 27 who were terminally ill.
Mr Mbewe said out of those pardoned, 194 were from the Copperbelt.
He said the pardoning was a clear indication that President Lungu cared about the welfare of the inmates and was ready to give them a second chance in life.
“President Lungu in exercising his powers has pardoned 847 convicted inmates on Christmas Eve celebrations across the country,” he said.
Mr Sikazwe said the pardoning of the inmates was a Christmas present from the Head of State and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to resolving challenges facing correctional facilities around the country.
“Our coming here is to prove that you are not outcasts, that’s why the President is trying to look at different ways of decongesting prisons. The worry of the Government is the number of inmates against the infrastructure that we have, that’s why we have seen the opening of new prisons,” he said.
The minister said the Government was constructing prisons to prepare for eventualities and  as a way  of decongesting the prisons, and challenged those that had been pardoned to conduct themselves as
expected to avoid being taken back to prison and that they should show their appreciation to the President by exhibiting good behaviour.
He explained that it decided to donate to the prison as a way of celebrating Christmas with the inmates and urged other companies to emulate Power Tools Bus Services by donating to the correctional facilities to reduce the challenges faced.
Among the donated items were 10 by 50 kilogrammes of salt, 400 by 20 liters of diesel, books, pockets of chalk and rain coats.
Meanwhile, the Prisons Fellowship has donated 143 bags of mealie meal, boxes of toothpaste and packets of sugar, among others.
Mr Kabwe said the team asked for permission from the President to celebrate Christmas with inmates at Kanfinsa as a gesture of showing love to them.
On the release of the inmates, Mr Mutelo said the correctional centre was not meant to punish inmates, but to reform them, hence commending the President’s gesture.