Mon, 22 May 2017 12:18:05 +0000
By ANNIE ZULU
HH is living in a special luxurious cell at Chimbokaila and it is very dishonest and a betrayal to prison authorities and the nation at large for him to tell the European Union and the world at large that he was receiving degrading treatment in detention.
According to ZRP President Wright Musoma, the cell which HH was occupying was reserved for senior trusted prisoners and was the only cell at Chimbokaila with beds, television and was occupied by less than 16 people, and had flexible lock up times, unlike other cells.
Other cells, he said were overcrowded with nearly 100 inmates, “not even former President Michael Sata occupied cell 16 when he was incarcerated, he was in cell 9. “The cell HH is occupying has all the facilities and he must be the very first ‘political detainee’ to be accommodated there. All other detainees have been held in general cells which are overcrowded and in conditions which are inhumane”, he said.
He challenged HH to deny the fact that he was living in luxurious circumstances when hundreds others were being held in dismal and overcrowded conditions.
“If he can lie about his accommodation in prison where he has been offered preferential treatment, what else can he lie about?”
Mr Musoma charged that seeking sympathy from the international community would not help Mr Hichilema to get out of his predicament, but only the law would do so.
He was reacting to media reports in which HH was reported to have complained to the European Union (EU) that he was being kept under extremely dehumanising condition at the holding cell.
“UPND must not fool themselves by thinking that lying to the international community that HH is being kept under dehumanising environment will get him out of prison. The only thing which can get HH out of prison is the law.
“If he is found guilty of the charges levelled against him, he will have to go in, but if he is not, he will be a free man and he will get back to his life. “For now, the best UPND can do is wait for the law to take its course and stop spreading lies,” Mr Musoma said.
And Mr Musoma has advised Mr Hichilema to use his time in prison to reflect on his life and work towards becoming a better person.
“This is the time for HH to sit back, reflect and look to God. It is not too late for him to change and become a better person,” he said.
