No evidence Kambwili in danger, says HRC
By Mast Reporter
THERE is no evidence that Patriotic Front (PF) member Chishimba Kambwili is not receiving enough medical care at Lusaka Central Correctional Facility to warrant his evacuation, the Human Rights Commission (HRC) has said.
Kambwili’s family and the PF have repeatedly appealed to government to allow Kambwili to be allowed to seek access to treatment outside the correctional facility because his health condition had deteriorated.
Spokesperson Mweelwa Muleya said in a statement yesterday the HRC had visited Kambwili at the facility on August 13 to verify reports that his condition had deteriorated and that he needed evacuation from the prison.
“The public may wish to know that the finding of the commission was that the Zambia Correctional Service was facilitating medical access to Dr Kambwili and so far, the commission was not privy to any report indicating that his health needs were beyond the capacity of the medical personnel that were attending to him,” Muleya said.
He said following media reports on the alleged deteriorating health of Kambwili, HRC visited the politician on Wednesday last week.
The commission had already visited Kambwili even before Patriotic Front leaders led by its acting president Given Lubinda complained to it about his alleged deteriorating health on Friday.
Muleya said Kambwili was brought to the Lusaka Central Correctional Service Facility from Kasama Central Correctional Service Facility on August 5 to attend to some pending court matters in Lusaka.
“The commission was informed and confirmed that from the time that Dr Kambwili was brought to Lusaka, he was being kept in the clinic within the Lusaka Central Correctional Service Facility in order to meet his health requirements, such as access to an elevated bed,” Muleya said.
“The Commission had an opportunity to interact with Dr Kambwili, Correctional Service Officers and medical personnel in order to understand his health situation and recommend appropriate remedial measures, if any, towards upholding his right to health.”
Muleya said HRC would continue monitoring the situation and would only take appropriate action based on the advice of the medical personnel.
Kambwili is serving a jail sentence in Kasama after being convicted of hate speech over utterances on the Tonga tribe of Southern Province during the campaigns for the 2021 general election.
