MINI-SKIRT CASE DISCONTINUED! The matter in which Thelma Njovu 16, and Mirriam Mwanza 28 stood charged for malicious damage to property came up before Magistrate Sunge Chanda today where she granted the State's application to discontinue the matter. "Your honor, the State is not ready to proceed in this matter and the therefore applying that the matter be discontinued under section 88 (a) of the Criminal Procedure" the State Prosecutor said. In response, Magistrate Chanda granted the application by the State. "In line with your application to discontinue the matter under Section 88 (a) of the Criminal Procedures, I grant it accordingly and the accused are discharged forthwith." And in welcoming the verdict, a jubilant NGOCC Programs Manager Chilufya Siwale called upon the police to be professional in their work and not take advantage of the vulnerable in society. "We welcome the move to discontinue the matter because there was no case in the first place. The Police should be professional in their work and desist from abusing their power like it was very clear in this case" she said. ... See more
PRESS STATEMENT For Immediate Release 1st February 2019 NGOCC WELCOMES HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION REPORT ON VESPERS The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) commends the Human Rights Commission for undertaking an independent investigation into the University of Zambia, 4th-5th October 2018 happenings which saw the eventual saddening death of a female student Ms Vespers Shimuzhila. NGOCC welcomes the recommendations by the Human Rights Commission in its Investigation Report that all the Police officers, including senior officers that were in charge of the operation at the University of Zambia (UNZA), on the material day, be criminally charged for causing the death of Vespers. As an organisation we also support the recommendation that the Shimuzhila family should immediately institute legal proceedings against the State and its agents for the arbitrary loss of Vespers’ constitutionally guaranteed and birth right to life, so that they can be adequately compensated. We look forward to the legal fraternity to step in and assist the Shimuzhila’s family in their quest to seek justice. As established in the report, it is clear that Vespers died as a result of suffocation caused by the Police who were firing teargas canisters and hand-held grenades into student hostels. The investigation by the Commission has vindicated the long held view, by most citizens, that the Zambia Police was unprofessional in the handling of the unrest at the University of Zambia. This further brings to the fore the fact that women and girls in many instances are rendered unnecessarily vulnerable and end up facing the brunt of such brutality and indeed violent acts. We demand that the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kakoma Kanganja, in his capacity as the in-charge of the Zambia Police, should take full responsibility of the death of Vespers. It is our call on the Police Command to ensure that this predicament works to change the growing unprofessional tendencies within the Police Service and that immediate pragmatic action is taken to refocus the Police to its noble duty of “protecting life and property” and not perpetrators of brutality and human rights violations. On behalf of the women’s movement, NGOCC will monitor and advocate to ensure that recommendations in the report are implemented and the culprits brought to book for justice to prevail. IN DEFENCE OF WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS for/NGOCC Mary S. Mulenga BOARD CHAIRPERSON ... See more
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