PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has pardoned 1, 125 inmates from incarceration countrywide.
Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu said President Hichilema has exercised his prerogative of mercy as provided by the constitution. Mr. Mwiimbu said the pardoning of inmates is also part of the country’s 58th independence anniversary. He said at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that those pardoned are ordinary inmates, the aged and some foreign nationals. Mr. Mwiimbu also explained that to enhance transparency, the ministry in September last year launched the guidelines for members of the advisory committee on prerogative of mercy to help the committee make recommendations to President Hichilema to pardon inmates.
And Mr. Mwiimbu has disclosed that as of 06:00 hours yesterday, the total number of inmates stands at 24, 704 of which 653 are female while the rest are male.
Meanwhile, he said plans are underway to decongest correctional facilities by building more centres to create space. He also urged the judiciary to explore alternatives of sentencing for minor cases stating that this will go a long way in decongesting correctional centres.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mwiimbu thanked the people of Kabushi and Kwacha constituencies for voting peacefully without violence during last Friday’s parliamentary by-elections. – ZNBC.
