In a gesture to commemorate Africa Freedom Day, President Hakainde Hichilema has pardoned 1,005 inmates.
Acting Home Affairs Minister Ambrose Lufuma announced the development in Lusaka yesterday.
Lufuma detailed that the pardoned individuals include 939 ordinary inmates, 39 elderly inmates, eight women with circumstantial children, and four foreign nationals.
Additionally, 15 inmates had their sentences commuted, a reflection of the President’s prerogative of mercy as stipulated under Article 97 of the Constitution.
This significant act aims to address overcrowding in Zambia’s correctional facilities, where the inmate population currently stands at 28,225 against a holding capacity of 10,650.
The government is also expanding open-air correctional centers, such as the nearly completed Nansanga Correctional Centre in Serenje, which will accommodate 1,600 inmates.
The government is further implementing measures like non-custodial sentences for minor offenses and improving legal aid to alleviate overcrowding.
Lufuma emphasized the importance of community support in reintegrating the pardoned inmates, urging families and the public to welcome them back and give them a second chance.