Congestion has become dire at Kasungu Prison Farm, where 650 inmates are crammed into a facility built to hold only 200 people and are being provided with food that was initially budgeted for just 450 inmates. Worse still, the correctional institution goes weeks without piped water, forcing inmates to fetch water from a distance of 2 kilometres.
These concerns were raised during the commemoration of International Human Rights Day organized by the Paralegal Advisory Service Institute (PASI) in partnership with the Irish Rule of Law International.
The Officer-in-Charge of the prison, James Msimuko, said they are experiencing overcrowding due to increased numbers of people being remanded.
“The situation is worrisome here. Inmates sleep in cells like bags stacked on top of each other. They wake up tired in the morning, and this affects their performance at the farm. Apart from that, water is a big challenge. Inmates bathe once in two weeks because the boreholes are not functioning properly, and where they fetch water is too far,” said Msimuko.
Msimuko further said that some inmates remain on remand for a long time as their cases are yet to be concluded in court.
“We call for quick administration of justice so that people do not stay here for too long on remand. Justice delayed is justice denied. In some cases, you find that people stay here for months yet the court does not find them guilty. This is a violation of their rights. We do not need speeches — we need action,” he added.
Second Grade Magistrate at Kasungu Magistrate Court, Samuel Chakudza, acknowledged that some cases take too long before being heard due to lack of evidence from prosecutors, resulting in suspects being kept on remand.
“This is a violation of their rights because every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. We cannot deny the fact that some prosecutors force suspects to plead guilty in order to fulfil their personal interests. This is uncalled for, and when anyone encounters such behaviour, please report it,” said Chakudza.
On his part, PASI Regional Team Leader Alfred Munika said they organized the event at the prison to raise awareness of prisoners’ rights and help them understand what actions to take when those rights are violated.
“A number of issues were raised here, including delays in disposing of cases, and bail conditions that favour the rich while the poor are given stiff conditions they cannot afford. As PASI, we have taken note of these concerns and we will be engaging the courts to address them.
We also heard that some police officers force suspects to plead guilty. This is unacceptable, and we will follow it up in our meetings with stakeholders,” said Munika.
This year, International Human Rights Day was commemorated under the theme: “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials.”
By Lameck Dimiton Gift
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