By JAMES KUNDA –
THE Zambia Prisons Service has said it does not support sodomy as the practice is illegal and against the country’s values and morals.
Zambia Prisons Service Commissioner Percy Chato said the institution did not entertain any cases of sodomy as its operations were hinged on the Constitution of Zambia.
Mr Chato said this in a statement issued yesterday.
“Sodomy is illegal in Zambia, and not even the Zambian culture supports it. Therefore, the practice of sodomy is against the laws of the Republic of Zambia, and the Zambia Prisons Service shoulders the responsibility on behalf of the citizenry of enforcing the provisions of these legal frameworks,” he said.
Mr Chato said as a responsible institution, the Zambia Prisons Service shouldered the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of the legal frameworks to operate secure and orderly prisons.
He said in cases where sodomy existed in prisons, the institution appealed for more valid, ethical, comprehensive research on the issue in order to improve practices and leverage prison-related policy and legislative reforms.
“Without this research we cannot issue comprehensive statements on interventions like conjugal rights,” he said.
Mr Chato said in this regard, progress had been made in tackling the problem as the institution was aggressively implementing measures to treat sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis.
