Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Thursday pardoned 464 prisoners as part of the commemoration of this year’s Africa Freedom Day.
Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo said the Zambian leader pardoned the inmates from various correctional facilities across the country in exercise of his prerogative mercy powers enshrined in the country’s constitution.
The Zambian minister said Lungu pardoned 413 inmates as well as commuted sentences of 51 others who were on death row.
He has since commended the Zambian leader for pardoning the inmates, saying it will go a long way in decongesting the country’s correction facilities which currently holds over 21,000 inmates against a holding capacity of about 8,000.
Kampyongo also says the pardoned inmates demonstrated they reformed during their time in prison and were ready to be reintegrated into society.
He called on society to embrace the inmates and not to discriminate against them so that they could fully integrate and contribute to the country’s development.
