OYV CALLS FOR REPEAL OF LAWS ON COMPENSATION FOR WRONGLY IMPRISONED INDIVIDUALS
By Nonhlanhla Phuti
Operation Young Vote -OYV- has called for a repeal of laws surrounding compensation for wrongly imprisoned individuals to prevent the ruling UPND from exploiting the treasury through compensation claims.
The state this week agreed to award 17 UPND members K600, 000 each as damages for false imprisonment through a consent judgment.
However, OYV Executive Director Guess Nyirenda has expressed concern about the weaknesses in the Zambian laws, noting that individuals and groups in power often exploit these deficiencies for their own selfish gains with the precedent set by UPND worrying.
In an interview with Phoenix News, Mr. Nyirenda has noted how a number of Zambians have been unlawfully arrested but have not been awarded any financial damages as is been done to UPND cadres.
He is of the view that to address this disparity, there is need to amend certain aspects of the law to ensure equitable treatment for all individuals which include, establishing mechanisms that allow all victims of wrongful imprisonment to seek compensation, thereby avoiding the abuse of the legal system by those in power.
PHOENIX NEWS
Its important to ask why the law exists instead of looking at individuals.
Laws are not made for individuals. The Chambers has numerous claims, not just UPND members. As usual we seek to paint a narrative when a particular group are paid. Are other Zambians not being paid? Remember all government departments are sued or they lose court cases. As we speak Kasanda has sued the state. Are you saying they should not be paid for the wrong done to them?
If not then you dont understand what accountability is. And would suggest that you may not be the right person to head and lead Operation Young Vote -OYV, Mr. Nyrienda.
As an its head, and an NGO goverance issues and objectivity is important. These people have sue and its their right be compensation for the injustice they went through.
Its a fact, that people were abused during the PF regime. If under MDD the rights of individuals were abused and accountability was not taken into account, this is the reason violence was rift under PF. No one held them accountable and thought that they could act with impunity. In this regime we read of “extra judical” killings, when and how will the victims recieve justice? How and when those that perpetuate these acts in the name of the law be held to account? It may not the person that pulls the trigger but the instigator. Individuals instigate others to act. Its only by holding people accountable will we deal with the “bad eggs” among us.
That is wrong! Mr Nyirenda people are now talking about human rights and those that are offended or whose rights are infringed they may seek legal redress and in that there is compasation that may be prescribed by the courts of law.Dont react like that because it’s UPND cadres involved.Dont change goal positions when opponents want to score.There could be some people whose rights have been infringed now so they may ask to be indemnified so don’t change the law because you may stop them from being compensated accordingly.PF offended people when they were in power so let everyone who was wrongly incaserated be able to take legal action and subsequently be compansated appropriatly so.
That is wrong! Mr Nyirenda people are now talking about human rights and those that are offended or whose rights are infringed they may seek legal redress and in that there is compasation that may be prescribed by the courts of law.Dont react like that because it’s UPND cadres involved.Dont change goal positions when opponents want to score.There could be some people whose rights have been infringed now so they may ask to be indemnified so don’t change the law because you may stop them from being compensated accordingly.PF offended people when they were in power so let everyone who was wrongly incaserated be able to take legal action and subsequently be compansated appropriately so.