Africa-Press – Zambia. The Ministry of Information and Media Director of Media Thabo Kawana says Mumbi Phiri has been cause listed and is scheduled to appear in Court on October 3rd 2022.
After spending half a year in filthy Zambian prison without trial Ms Phiri will finally appear in court according to an announcement made by Mr Kawana when he made an appearance on Radio Phoenix Let the People Talk.
Mr Kawana has since urged Zambians not to make noise about Ms Phiri’s staying in jail without a court appearance for “only” six months because others have been in detention for five years.
“Ms Phiri has been Cause Listed (her case has been scheduled in the courts) for October 3 so it’s wrong to say her stay is political,” he said.
Mr Kawana said making a comparison of Phiri´s more than six months stay without trial in frail health condition to that of President Hakainde Hichilema´s 127 days in jail without trial was also widely condemned.
He said the comparison between the two is misplaced because Hichilema was a “political” detainee while he referred to Ms Phiri as a “murder” suspect. Pressure has attracted local and the international community for the ailing former Deputy Secretary General of the Patriotic Front (PF) to be taken to court or released for lack of case.
And PF leaders Given Lubinda, Miles Sampa, Emmanuel Mwamba, Lubinda Habazoka, Nickson Chilangwa, and others such as Sean Tembo, Laura Miti, Brebner Changala and Jackson Silavwe have demanded for her release if the State did not have sufficient evidence against her.
By the time she appears in court in the next two months, Ms Phiri in severely bad health would have been detained for a full nine months, a quarter short of a year.
The Zambian Civil Society including the Diplomatic community that vocalized against human rights abuses under President Edgar Lungu have ostensibly remained silent over Ms Phiri, a grandmother and wife.
Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba, one of the sympathisers of Ms Phiri as a Central Committee Member today said although October is far, it is good that she will finally have a day in court that could possibly lead to a release.
Meanwhile Mr Kawana has stated that the Drug Enforcement Commission Director General Mary Chirwa is not going anywhere as government is not interested in watching pornography.
He added that women in Zambia suffer double punishment, even animals are against Gender Based Violence (GBV) and anyone calling for firing of Ms Chirwa is liable for GBV.
“Honestly have been looking for her video but not seeing it,” he said
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