PF not impressed with NGOCC statement on General Kanene

NGOCC Chairperson Sarah Longwe

The ruling PF says it is regrettable that Non Governmental Organizations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) Board Chairperson Sara Longwe has opted to play to the gallery by politicizing a straight-forward matter over President Lungu’s pardoning of Clifford Dimba alias General Kanene.

Patriotic Front Media and Publicity Vice Chairman Sunday Chanda says while they know that Ms. Longwe has never said anything positive about President Lungu, and will not ask her to, she must be reminded that she cannot monopolize the fight against GBV to the extent of even selecting who plays a role and who does not.

Mr. Chanda says it is strange that the entire NGOCC and Ms. Sara Longwe have chosen to politicise the pardoning of General Kanene while they have remained mute over President Lungu’s exercising of his prerogative of mercy pursuant to Articles 59 and 60 of the Laws of Zambia, by commuting death sentences to life imprisonment of all 332 condemned prisoners at Kabwe’s Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison citing that This selective condemnation must raise concerns.

He notes that it is interesting that Ms. Longwe has reacted angrily to General Kanene’s pardoning because according to her, he should have been left to rot in jail even after showing remorse and reformation.

Mr. Chanda says it is difficult to see how Ms. Longwe fails to appreciate that a convict of a gender-based crime can become a Campaigner against all forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) adding that it appears there can never be reform for a convict according to NGOCC’s statement.

He adds that it is even more worrying that in her zeal to champion the fight against GBV, she fails to see the place of ex-convicts in making the crusade even more effective stressing that Away from the emotional outbursts, she can clearly see the link between a reformed and pardoned convict and sensitizing and discouraging would-be offenders as ambassadors of goodwill.

Mr. Chanda further states that Unless Ms. Longwe has evidence to the contrary, Prison has served as a deterrent in General Kanene’s case and nothing disqualifies him from getting involved in the anti-GBV crusade.