By ANDREW PHIRI –
COMMISSIONER of Prisons Percy Chato has advised prison officers to be nonpartisan as the country goes to the polls this month.

. Chato

Mr Chato said the officers in an institution like the Zambia Prisons should understand their role in a democratic state and that they should be loyal to the government of the day.
Speaking in Livingstone when he addressed officers at the central prison, Mr Chato advised the officers to refrain from all forms of political activities.
“You officers must be nonpartisan, our role as officers is to maintain law and order. Let’s ensure that there is peace in the nation and refrain from all forms of political activities,” Mr Chato said.
He said officers had a duty to protect the sovereignty and peace of the nation and urged them to be neutral when it comes to politics.
Mr Chato said officers were not supposed to engage in active politics and advised those wishing to actively indulge in politics to resign.
He has since advised prison officers to exercise their constitutional and democratic right on the 20th of January by voting for the candidates of their choice.
“If you want to be a politician, resign and we will vote for you if you convince us to do so, but I urge you to go and exercise your constitutional and democratic right on the 20th of January by voting for a candidate of your choice,” Mr Chato said.
The commissioner of prisons said the harmonisation process of officers’ wages was on-going and not fully completed.
Mr Chato further said that once the harmonisation process was completed, the prison’s service would have a workforce of about 5,000 officers from the current 2,518.
He said the Service would soon embark on a recruitment exercise for 600 officers to beef up the current workforce.
Meanwhile deputy commissioner of prisons Everisto Kalonga said the service was expecting a number of goods and equipment from the Chinese government.
Mr Kalonga said in order to boost the agriculture sector, the prison’s service was among other things expecting 20 tractors, 6 combine harvesters and 5 tipper tracks.
Other things that were expected from China were 54 busses, 54 operational vehicles and 20 ambulances.