LUSAKA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu has pardoned 283 poisoners as part of the commemoration of 55 years of the country's independence, a senior government official said on Thursday.
Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo said the pardoned prisoners were from different correctional facilities in the country.
He told reporters during a press briefing that out of the pardoned inmates 245 were males and 38 females.
According to him, the pardoning of the inmates will go a long way in reducing congestion in the country's correctional facilities.
He further appealed to families of the pardoned prisoners and members of the general public to support them by not discriminating against them.
Currently, Zambia's correctional facilities have 22,678 inmates against the holding capacity of 9,150, he added.
