By KALOBWE BWALYA
The judiciary is reportedly skipping Mumbi Phiri’s case while new matters are being taken to court, the Patriotic Front (PF) has claimed.
PF acting president, Given Lubinda says some of the cases to be tried in August, could have happened after Ms Phiri’s arrest but she has not been included on the August cause list.
“I have my own suspicions that Mumbi Phiri is just being skipped,” Mr Lubinda said.
He said documents perused showed that 11 murder cases for August occurred in 2022 while Ms Phiri was arrested in February.
And Mr. Lubinda also directed Mandevu Member of Parliament, Christopher Shakafuswa and his Luapula counterpart Nickson Chilangwa to ask a question in parliament as a matter of urgency over the incarceration of Ms Phiri.
He said he had documentation and wanted Parliament to hear an explanation why Ms Phiri was not being taken to court. Mr Lubinda called on women to show solidarity so that Ms Phiri can be heard in the courts of law.
He said President Hakainde Hichilema should not be trusted because there is no rule of law, as the ruling party was stepping on people’s rights.
“President Hichilema dramatised it himself and this is why it has brought all this tension in the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, former PF secretary general Davies Mwila has demanded that UPND should release Mumbi Phiri and realise that they will be indicted for the wrong things that have continued happening. Mr Mwila visited Ms Phiri in Mongu Central prison and said her incarceration is politically motivated hence the delay to take her to court.
Mr Mwila added that the detention is illegal and warned that the UPND should know that their days are numbered.
He said as opposed to fixing political opponents, the UPND administration should focus on fixing the cost of living that has been skyrocketing since it swept into power.
Mr Mwila, said Zambians are watching and will be able to analyse at the end of term.
He assured Ms Phiri, is former Deputy Secretary General that she will be vindicated despite the prolonged incarceration and that everything will come to pass.
Meanwhile, the Non-governmental Gender Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) is concerned with the prolonged detention of suspects in correctional facilities across the country due to administrative and other challenges in the judiciary, with some spending years without being heard in the courts of law.
NGOCC Executive Director Anne Mbewe has appealed to the Chief Justice Mumba Malila to immediately address the challenges that are causing delays in suspects coming up for trial in the justice system.
“We have noted with concern that suspects are spending years in detention because of the delayed hearing of their cases by the justice system of our country. We are equally concerned with the many suspects both men and women who are spending months and years incarcerated without being tried by the courts,” Ms Mbewe said.
Ms Mbewe is concerned that while high profile persons such as Ms Phiri and her co-accused have voices demanding for their speedy trial, many suspects have spent years in correctional facilities without being heard and without anyone speaking for them.
