23 September 2026
The Permanent Secretary CRIAR
Mr Dickson Matembo
Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security
LUSAKA
RE: FAILURE TO RESPOND TO MY LETTER REGARDING MY REQUEST TO VISIT FRIENDS AT MWEBESHI AND OTHER CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
I write to follow up on my letter dated 10th September 2026, concerning my request to visit Mwembeshi Correctional Security Facility, which was formally received and stamped by the Ministry on 10th September 2026.
I am concerned that, to date, I have received neither a response nor an indication of the status of my request. I appreciate that matters before the Ministry may, in some circumstances, require consultation with relevant departments or institutions. However, this cannot reasonably justify leaving correspondence from a member of the public unanswered and without any indication of progress. Indeed, the Public Service Commission Service Delivery Charter, under Section 6.0 — “Our Other Standards,” expressly provides under “If You Write to Us”: “We will respond to your correspondence within five (05) working days.” The Charter further provides: “We will endeavour to resolve your enquiry before we send you the response. If we are unable to do so, we will inform you of the progress we are making and when you can expect a response.”
In my case, the five-working-day period expired on 17 September 2026. Today is 23 September 2026, yet I have received no communication from the Ministry whatsoever. This is concerning because responsiveness to citizens is not simply an administrative courtesy; it is an essential component of public accountability and good governance. A citizen who formally communicates with a Government institution should reasonably expect that communication to be acknowledged and dealt with within the standard established timelines. Silence is not an acceptable form of engagement between a public institution such as the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security and members of the Public Service. The Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security has certain responsibilities in this regard. It is an institution charged with safeguarding the
rights, security and liberty of citizens. The higher the responsibility entrusted to a public institution, the greater the expectation of transparency, accountability and responsiveness in the exercise of that responsibility.
I therefore request that your office cause my original letter to be attended to without further delay and provide me with a substantive written response. If my request cannot be granted, I would expect the Ministry to state clearly the reasons for that decision. If the matter requires further consideration or consultation, I would expect to be informed of the progress being made and when I can expect a final response, in accordance with the Service Delivery Charter quoted above.
I do not believe that silence is an acceptable response to formal correspondence received by a public institution, particularly where the institution has itself adopted standards requiring timely responses to members of the public. I accordingly request that I receive a written response within five working days of receipt of this follow-up letter.
I make this request respectfully, but I wish to emphasise that I regard the matter as one of institutional accountability and respect for the citizen’s right to receive a timely response from Government, rather than merely a personal administrative inconvenience.
I trust that your office will give this matter the attention it deserves.
You may wish to know that I intend to visit some of my colleagues who are in the custody of your Mwembeshi, Mukobeko and other Correctional Facilities during the week commencing 28th September, 2026. In which case you will do well to guide me on how to seek authorisation for doing so, and how it is provided for.
Yours faithfully,
GIVEN LUBINDA
Cc: The Secretary to the Cabinet
Over and over the Correctional Service PR person has had to respond to the Reason that lawyers and friends of Politicans and their Political friends have been denied visitation to their detained or incarsarated friends at Correctional facilities. Never have we read of a mere citizen complaining or filing a complaint.
Do these elected or formerly elected think they are so much more important than the rest of us mere mortals? Who do they think they are that they think they are above the law and beyond rules?
Laws, rules and policies are made for all of us to follow. When applied Lubinda thinks he beyond the laid down procedures.
Or is this another ploy to “keeping up appreances”….awe bane. Twila shinkana butter pa menso….bupuba ubu. The incarasarated are there cause they committed a crime. Want to join them? Commit your own. It seems being at a correctional facility is some kind of “celebrity status” to be on social media. When asked to do serious things that uplift the lives of Zambians…fi bwebwe nokumonka kwati muli fi puba pa #BBC. Thats Zambian politicans for you….