MAZABUKA – Local Government and Rural Development minister Gary Nkombo has vowed to continue fighting for total discharge of a ‘malicious’ murder charge he was slapped with by the PF government.
The Mazabuka member of parliament (UPND), who is also local government minister, has pledged to sink a borehole at the Livingstone Central Correctional Facility to ease water challenges being faced by inmates.
Speaking during a tour to Cell No 9, in which he was held for 14 days in March 2013, Nkombo referred to the correctional facility as his ‘home’.
“This is the cell I spent my 14 days from 1st March 2013 until I was released via nolle prosequi which I am still on up to this time for the alleged murder of Harrison Chanda, a Monze resident.
“I tried my right to get a complete discharge. I asked then justice minister Given Lubinda, all I got were threats to reopen the case,” Nkombo said.
“But I am still determined to get a complete discharge.”
As he exited Cell 9, Nkombo took time to encourage incarcerated former Livingstone mayor Milford Mambo and former Musi-oa-Tunya ward councillor Malilo Ziba to be strong.
Nkombo also addressed male inmates whom he thanked for voting for the UPND.
He hoped that the inmates have reflected on the reasons they are incarcerated for and that they have reformed.
Earlier in the office of the officer-in-charge Cornwell Mudenda, Nkombo narrated how he arrived at the facility from Libuyu Police Station.
Mudenda informed Nkombo that the facility had 665 inmates and asked that it be helped with a piece of land to create an open air facility so as to decongest the prison and also enhance agriculture productivity as well as other education and skills training.
He also raised the issue of intermittent water supply and requested for a borehole to be sunk, to which Nkombo said he would personally finance the sinking of one as soon as possible.
Nkombo urged Mudenda to engage city mayor Constance Muleabai and Livingstone UPND member of parliament to assist with the water tank and water pump.
On land, he told Mudenda to liaise with his superiors so that they could make a formal request to the Ministry of Lands.
