God used someone with the ‘badest’ heart to imprison me – HH

BY LUCY PHIRI 

PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has said he strongly believes that God used someone with the ‘badest’ hear as a tool to imprison him for a crime he did not commit so that he (President Hichilema could live to return and appreciate prison life.

President Hichilema says he believes it was not former President Lungu who brought him to Chimbkaila for a crime he did not commit but that God had only used someone with a bad heart as a tool to incarcerate him at Chimbokaila, later moved to Lilayi before being transferred to Mukobeko Maximum Prison.  

Addressing inmates during the continued week of the UPND humanitarian works, President Hichilema said it was by God’s grace that he was not killed in 2017 when he faced treason chargers, because according to him, former President Lungu had taken him to prison to teach him (Mr Hichilema) a lesson

“Having me in jail was God’s decision. I believe that it was not even Lungu (former President Lungu) who brought me here (Chimbokaila) Lungu was just a tool God used to bring me here.God chose someone with the ‘badest’ heart to bring me here, to take me to Lilayi and to Mukobeko (Maximum Prison). He thought he was teaching me a lesson…he thought he was punishing me,” President Hichilema said.

And President Lungu has directed Ministry of Justice to revise the criminal justice system and reduce the time to dispose of criminal cases.

President Hichilema said cell 13 and 16 was where he was held during his treason case, which he said he was almost killed.

And President Hichilema has directed Mlambo Haimbe, the Justice Minister should use the office given to him to reform the justice system.

He said most inmates at the Zambia Correctional Service commonly known as Chimbokaila were there as a result of delay and slow pace cases were disposed of.

He was speaking at Lusaka Central Correctional Facility in Lusaka yesterday when he visited Cell 13 and 16 during his ten days tour on two years of the UPND in power.

He said he could not forget his fellow inmates, the reason he had removed the death penalty.

President Hichilema stated that before an arrest of any person, there should be an investigation until found guilty, and when one is arrested in the morning, in the afternoon bond should be given to them.

“ The issue of missing files in court, what are we doing making one not to appear because of that, this should not continue in the new dawn, if court is not ready the file is missing, give them bond or bail and whenever you are ready bring them back, am talking about those bailable cases,” he said.

He also warned the Patriotic Front who said had started to regroup that they should stop because their days were numbered. “We did not arrest the PF thugs on their wrong doing but this does not mean we are not capable. We shall come for you,” President Hichilema vowed.

The President donated two cows, chickens bags of mealie meal, 1kg of sugar to each inmates, containers of cooking oil, bags of rice, and bars of soap, toothpaste to all the 1,400 inmates.

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