By Prudence Siabana
Government has assured that former inmates who registered to vote but have been pardoned by the president to commemorate Africa Freedom Day will still be allowed to go back and vote in the August polls.
Permanent Secretary in the m=Ministry of Home Affairs Masiye Banda indicated that former inmates who registered as voters whilst in incarceration will still be allowed to vote from their respective correctional centers.
Mr. Banda was reacting to calls for President Edgar Lungu not to pardon inmates ahead of Africa Freedom Day commemorations because those who will be pardoned and were registered to vote at correctional facilities may not be able to travel back to vote.
Meanwhile, only 31 female inmates out of a total 579 inmates have been pardoned under the presidential prerogative of mercy to commemorate Africa freedom Day which falls annually on May 25th.
Addressing the media this morning, Mr. Banda says of the pardoned, 548 are males and 31 are females representing 3 percent of total inmate population in correctional centers which stands at 22,520.
PHOENIX NEWS