Choma Prisoners Wish President Sata Well

Choma prisoners have wished President Michael Sata good health and God’s divine wisdom to enable him to continue leading the country in a peaceful manner.

The prisoners pledged support for the Head of State, saying that was important for peace and freedom to continue prevailing in the country especially that it was a jubilee year.

Speaking on behalf of other prisoners during the closing of a week of prayers by Prison Fellowship of Zambia on Sunday in Choma, Cosmas Chikalutapa said the inmates had a lot of hope in President Sata pardoning a good number of them.

“Some of us we are breadwinners and our being here means that our families have become ‘street kids’; so our humble appeal to the Head of State is that he exercises leniency on those who committed minor cases so that the prison can be decongested,” Chikalutapa said.
Currently, Choma prison has 351 prisoners instead of the required 130.

Chikalutapa said some sentences by magistrates were too long for majority cases that should ordinarily be tried by headmen.

He appealed to the government, through the judiciary, to ensure that proper justice prevailed in the manner sentences were determined because some cases could be handled by the traditional courts.

“As the Bible in Habakkuk 1-4 says, as well as Leviticus 25-10, our cry is for proper justice to prevail,” said Chikalutapa.

Closing the week of prayer, Choma District Commissioner, Bernadette Hamweemba, urged the prisoners to focus on doing the right things in life other than negative ones.
She advised them not to lose hope in education even if they were currently incarcerated, saying their future depended much on it.

Hamweemba said the PF government was committed in ensuring that lives of citizens were uplifted.

“You should also stop engaging yourselves in activities that will put your health at risk. It is common knowledge that these things are happening here so please can you desist from doing them. Government will do everything possible to decongest prisons, especially that it is jubilee year,” said Hamweemba.

And PFZ Choma Care Group chairperson, Reverend Lemmy Penta, appealed to the business community in the area to construct a shelter for inmates to be holding fellowship meetings.

Meanwhile, PFZ governor, Elizabeth Masiku, complained that it was unfortunate that the Choma community was not sensitised on the importance of having a spirit of giving.
The Gideons International donated 350 bibles to the inmates to enable them read in their free time.

Posted by Kunda on August 27, 2014. Filed under LATEST NEWS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry