I HAD BODY GUARDS IN PRISON – SATA
In July 2005, opposition Patriotic Front president Michael Sata was arrested for espionage and detained in remand prison for 15 days before he was released on bail. This followed a miners’ strike at Konkola Copper Mines [KCM].
To express their anger and agitation, the miners planted explosives in strategic places.
Sata was sympathetic to their cause as he said their grievanvces were genuine.
So, he claimed responsibility that he incited them to strike. However, instead of arresting the miners, the government went for Sata, charged him for espionage, and accused him of having supplied the miners with explosives.
Following his release from prison, I spent some time with him chatting about his experiences in detention. He complained that prison authorities only allowed his wife, Dr. Christine Kaseba, two minutes to see him.
Below is an excerpt from Conversations with Memorable Personalities, 2022, by Amos Malupenga, Page 615.
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So, how did you spend your day in prison?
Early in the morning, my wife brought me breakfast. At 05:00 hours in the morning, they put on the lights but we remained in the cell. At 06:15, they opened, and as soon as they opened, the inmates brought me hot water to bath. After bathing, I remained there until 07:00 hours when the cells were opened.
For me, when the cells were opened, my interviews also started with those prisoners who wanted to see me and those who sought assistance from me.
At 11:45 hours, they brought lunch. At 16:00 hours, we were locked in until the following morning. And I did a lot of reading.
What were you doing from 16:00 hours up to the following morning?
When you enter into the cell, you will find self-proclaimed preachers. So, these preachers would preach. The cell in which I was, was a classroom cell. After preaching, they started teaching.
What is it that they taught?
Everything. There was grade seven there, even going up to grade twelve. I helped to assist them because I do not know if they were pupil teachers or real teachers. I helped in assisting young children because there were a number of young children, some of them less than 20 years who are supposed to be in a reformatory.
After 18:00 hours, the Muslims pray and later teaching lessons continue. At 20:45 hours there was a last prayer. After that we slept until the following morning.
What were the messages in those teachings?
The messages were academic. But if there were reforms in prisons, we could have professional teachers to go and teach those children in prisons because there in nothing they could do apart from roaming about in that open space. If the Ministry of Education arranged with prison authorities, they can conduct proper lessons. There were some children who are
going to sit for examinations, but my worry is whether they would pass because some of those teachers were just educational enthusiasts.
We really need prison reforms. My cell with 70 inmates was less congested. The rest had more than 100 people. Inmates do not sleep. They just sit with no blankets until the following morning.
But for me, they gave me a space where I could sleep and I had some
bodyguards who ensured that nobody came near the president.
Who appointed these bodyguards?
There are captains in prison. The captains even appointed someone to carry my basket. I had some inmates to bring water, somebody to make my bed, somebody to clean my shoes, so I was president. And when I was passing in the grounds, everybody stood still.
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Picture caption: Michael Sata being taken back to Lusaka Central Prison after making an appearance in the Lusaka High Court for espionage.