Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) has noted with utmost disdain the inhumane
actions by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Gary Nkombo,
on 26th April 2022, in which he purposefully forced a mother in Garden Compound and
her children to drink illegally brewed alcohol as a means of reprimanding community
members on the activity. Inasmuch as the Minister had intentions of stopping the illegal
brewing of beer in the community, forcing people to drink it was not only insulting and
degrading, but also a clear breach of the laws of Zambia and must never be condoned
under any circumstances.
To put into context, Section 231 of the Penal Code Act, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia
states that: “Any person who unlawfully, and with intent to injure or annoy another, causes
any poison or noxious thing to be administered to, or taken by, any person, and thereby
endangers his life, or does him some grievous harm, is guilty of a felony and is liable to
imprisonment for fourteen years.”
We would like to remind politicians that they are servants of the Zambian people and
therefore should conduct themselves as such. The very people they are demeaning today
are the same people who brought them into office and should be treated with dignity in
accordance with the laws of the land.
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TI-Z therefore demands that Hon. Nkombo render an unconditional public apology to the
woman he forced to drink the illegally brewed alcohol, her children and the people of
Zambia. We also urge the Zambia Police to rigorously pursue the matter in view of Section
231 of the Penal Code.
We wish to state that no person, be it ordinary citizen or politician, is above the law and
therefore should not breach it but be a defender of the rights of every Zambian.
Maurice K. Nyambe
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
