By Mubanga Mubanga
Chilubi member of parliament Mulenga Fube (PF) says former MPs for Kawambwa, Pabambashe and Lumezi, Nickson Chilangwa, Ronald Chitotela and Munir Zulu respectively, are political prisoners who have been jailed using trumped-up charges.
In an interview with Daily Revelation over the weekend, Fube said the current administration did not want the three to be part of the political mobilisation ahead of the August 13 general elections, hence the decision to jail them using trumped-up charges.
“And l think this is now becoming very frustrating. And l think we cannot have certain laws apply to certain citizens, while some other citizens cannot even see the four walls of the police cell, when they have committed serious crimes,” Fube said. “We know that, many of these are, starting with Mr Chitotela, Bena Bowman Lusambo, Chitotela and the like, they have been given trumped-up charges. That is why they confine them so that they may not be part of the political mobilisation in the nation, as we go toward 2026.”
Fube said despite Zulu completing his jail sentence, he has not been released.
He said people who had murder charges were being released, while Zulu had been denied.
“I think this kind of injustice that we are seeing is equivalent to lawlessness. We are seeing how some people who are clearly guilty are being released. Some of them … murder cases have been reduced to manslaughter and all that. And given bail there and then. Then, we have Chilangwa, Chitotela and many others, who also includes Munir among them, who have been denied justice,” Fube said. “And it is like Article 18 to them doesn’t work. And l think when a sentence has been pronounced and when it is exhausted, people are supposed to have act as such. What is the delay in releasing Munir Zulu?”
Fube wondered what the problem was in releasing Zulu.
He described the behavior by the prison authorities as unbecoming.
”But it is important that when Raphael Nakacinda has finished his sentence, he should be released. When Munir has done his sentence, he should be released. So, what is the problem with releasing Munir? When we are seeing that ,the time he is supposed to be released has come to an end,” said Fube. “Why are they still holding him in prison, when is supposed to be out? But, l think this kind of behavior is unbecoming. And as l have said earlier it is equivalent to lawlessness.”
