An Open Appeal to His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema
Date: 17th August 2025
Your Excellency,
I write to you not only as a concerned citizen of this great nation, but as a daughter, helplessly watching her father’s health and spirit deteriorate behind the cold walls of Chimbokaila Prison.
Dr. Chishimba Kambwili is not only a political figure, but first and foremost, a husband, a father, and a grandfather who has served this nation with undeniable passion and commitment. While justice must always take its course, so too must compassion, especially when a life hangs in the balance.
Your Excellency, I listened intently to the heartfelt appeal made by Dr. Sebastian Kopulande during the memorial service for the late President Levy Mwanawasa.
His reminder that governance is not solely about legality, but also about morality and humanity, struck a deep chord within me. President Mwanawasa’s legacy of forgiveness and moral leadership, even towards former adversaries, is one our country remembers with pride and gratitude.
Today, I find myself clinging to that same legacy. My father’s health has continued to deteriorate rapidly. His condition is no longer just a concern, it is a crisis. The prison environment, with its limitations in medical attention, is not conducive to his recovery. We, his family, fear the worst with each passing day.
Your Excellency, you have demonstrated a compassionate spirit in the past, most recently in extending a hand of mercy to former Defence Minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba. We witnessed with hope your acknowledgement of similar cases, including that of Dr. Katele Kalumba. I am appealing to that same heart today.
This is not a request for political favor, it is a daughter’s plea for her father’s life. I ask you, Sir, to please consider using your prerogative of mercy, granted to you by the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia, to pardon my father on compassionate grounds.
Let this moment be one where the healing of hearts triumphs over the punishment of bodies. Let it be a moment where we as a nation remember that every name behind bars, big or small, represents a human life.
Your Excellency, in your own words: “We owe every Zambian the same attention.” I trust that this includes my father.
May the legacy of President Mwanawasa, and your own example of inclusive and moral leadership, guide you once more as you consider this heartfelt appeal.
With hope and deep respect,
CHANDA KAMBWILI
DAUGHTER OF DR. CHISHIMBA KAMBWILI
You are now begging for your father to be pardoned but you were quiet when he was busy using derogatory remarks against other tribes. You were probably even supporting his utterances then.
You can not caught what he said as a way of asking a pardon of your father, you could have used 5 sense than going in public, anyway it is never tolerate you can still see him privately and talk than using his speech as a trap.
A family is a collective entity. In a family members dialogue, agree, disagree, and the they give advice and guidance. Where were you when your father was talking about not smelling fat and the strength of a dog’s dick? Where were you as family? You should have known better. Besides, Chanda said something about your father’s health. Live with it.
Hypocritical. Animal farm. Some prisoners are more prisoners than others. These are some of the letters which are very condescending to the presidency. We know what they are meant to do. If or when Kambwili dies, the blame will be squarely on HH. That’s the narrative which is already in making here. All I read in this letter is an attitude of entitlement. Just because some other criminal high profile individuals have received pardon, it seems Kambwili’s daughter thinks her dad should also be entitled. Even taking the president on a guilty trip to be compassionate. The law should not only be for the poor but for the rich too. Let Kambwili seek medical attention in the correction facility like any other prisoner, that is the moral obligation of the correction services to offer him medical attention just like every other prisoner needing medical attention. He is not the first prisoners to get sick behind bars.
Zambia is a very strange country where high profile people feel entitled to be paroled. And people see nothing wrong with it, when we have thousands of people behind bars in worse conditions. Can you imagine if every family member of incarcerated folks write to the president asking for pardoning? Let people serve their sentences accordingly without favour because everyone is equal once behind bars. The reason people are put behind bars is to rehabilitate them, so that once released they’ll contribute positively to the society. Let justice take it’s course without interference.
Let him save his sentence.
Chachilamo nomba. Bonse fye…pardon him, pardon him that’s the problem of setting presidency; the GBM presidency.
Kambwili was too loud on Tongas, it was too much: where he could demea the Tongas any given time presser reducing them to valueless citizens.Very tribalistic.
Kambwili should serve his jail term BUT avail him access to all his timely medications NOT to be pardoned. BIG NO for me. Let him serve his 5 months.
Why not put him.on cleaning the town team of prisoners? Have you give him uniform already?….lol.
Where were you when your fat tribalist father was attacking other groups, did you write an open letter to tell him to stop……no you didn’t you supported the chikala.
Now you beg the president to let him go free. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
it’s time kambwili meets lungu and nawakwi
Had zpF won elections CK would be a minster and he wouldn’t be ferning illness. These are the same people who well arrogant to government when CK was evacuated to Lusaka airport after the accident in Kasama. The accident that was caused either careless driving or driving under the influence. He is lucky, he got off very lightly. The best he can do is serve the sentence and go through the Prison management to get the required medication. This stupid of playing politics should come to an end. If CK had accepted the sentence at the very instant, he would have been out this time. Remember this is same chap that escaped to malawi until he was arrested and brought back. His story then was he was being persecuted because he was more popular than HH! Where was this daughter who thinks Zambians are stupid.
The only way Kambwili will reform is to serve his full Jail sentence, otherwise this guy will never repent. So lets get this straight, assuming HH PARDONS HIM. What happens when he spills his vulgar language again? Does he need to be pardoned again because of his health? Even GBM should not have been released.
Hon Chishimba Kambwili imprisoned due to Tonga Hate Speech, has done one and half months already. He is remaining with 3 and half months. With good behavior he can be released upon serving 4 months which will be in October, 2025.
He shouldn’t bother about becoming a pawn in Hakainde’s games of clemency..He will perpetually be in Hakainde’s pocket if he is pardoned. Let him Access the medical treatment for his condition and serve the remaining 2-3 months..Let him Persevere and put Trust in God, who won’t abandon him even in the darkest hour.
Clemency from Hakainde is too costly Hon Chishimba Kambwili..You will forever be in Prison. Kindly explain to your family.
May God Be with you.
Yess, he should serve his entire sentence mu Chitakataka. Not feigning sickness like the coward he is and his supporters. He will never be tribalist again. He and Why Me should persevere mu Chitakataka