One of the inmates recently released on a presidential pardon after seven years behind bars has his fingers crossed and in deep prayers that he finds his wife not married to another man. Mr Francis Kamfwa, one of 593 inmates pardoned by President Edgar Lungu on Christmas Day, is anxious about his marital status because no relative visited him since being confined to Kansenshi Correctional Facility in Ndola.

Mr Kamfwa hopes to find his wife in Kasama still unmarried so that he can easily reunite with his family he missed so much while in incarceration.
“I pray to God that my wife is not married to another man so that I can go back and reunite with her,” Mr Kamfwa said after his release. The then bus conductor was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour for pushing a passenger off a moving vehicle. The passenger later died.
He regrets his actions and laments his unpleasant years behind bars.

Mr Kamfwa said his experience in the correctional facility was unpleasant, especially that no family member ever visited him. “I just want to go and reunite with my family in Kasama. I miss my wife and children, I have not seen them in a long time,” Mr Kamfwa said. And Veronica Kaunda, who is among the 43 female inmates released on Christmas Day, also hopes to meet with the person she assaulted so that she can ask for forgiveness.
Ms Kaunda was serving a one-year jail sentence at Kansenshi Correctional Facility.

She said while in the correctional facility, she acquired tailoring skills and learnt how to handle her emotions. Ms Kaunda was jailed for assaulting a man during a beer drink-up. She advised women against excessive alcohol consumption because it can lead to bad behaviour.
“Right now I can design clothes using the skills I acquired from prison,” she said. A former Lumwana Mine accountant who was imprisoned for theft by servant appealed to society not to condemn the former inmates.

Mr Edward Chitembo, who served as a pastor and teacher in the correctional facility, said no one is above the law. He was jailed for three years and served one year and 10 months. Mr Chitembo said while in incarceration, he learnt to be humble and a hard worker. “I love my wife and children. My wife has been kind to me and she has always visited me. My appeal is for society to help me with anything to enable me to earn a living and look after my family,” he said.

And speaking after witnessing the release of 14 inmates from Kansenshi Correctional Facility, Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe urged the former inmates to deeply reflect on reasons for them being jailed so that they can become better citizens. Mr Nundwe also urged the former inmates to behave well in society after being forgiven and discharged from incarceration.

“Some of you committed very serious offences. But what is important is for you to now realise that what you did was not good in society. You should therefore start life on a new page,” he said. Copperbelt Zambia Correctional Service regional commanding officer Wilson Mbewe said of the 593 pardoned inmates across the country, 85 were in correctional facilities on the Copperbelt.

He said the province expects the pardoned inmates to reform and refrain from crimes. “I wish to remind society, especially the Church, relatives and the business community to receive the former inmates with two hands as they