Death Row Cell Too Congested As Mukata Asks President Lungu To Pardon Others

Death Row Cell Too Congested As Mukata Asks President Lungu To Pardon Others

The increased number of inmates on death row at Mukobeko Maximum Security Correctional Facility continues to rise beyond its holding capacity.

Zambia Correctional Service Commissioner General Chisela Chileshe has disclosed that the holding cell with a capacity of 48 now has about 424 inmates.

Dr Chileshe said the current infrastructure does not support the number of inmates on death row, hence the need to consider lessening the burden of those on death row.

He has appealed to President Edgar Lungu to consider pardoning or commuting the sentences for those on death row to help reduce the numbers as the cell is heavily congested.

And Keith Mukata, former Chilanga member of parliament, who is among those on death row, has called on President Lungu to help by commuting sentences of those on death row to life imprisonment “or better still pardon others”.

Mukata, a lawyer and former minister, said the facility is too congested, especially that no Zambian President has signed an order to hang any of those in the condemned section.