61 old people serving in prisons

Home Affairs Deputy Minister Stephen Kampyongo says there are only 61 elderly persons serving in Zambian Prisons as of 31 August this year.

The Deputy Minister told Parliament in Lusaka today that government has no immediate plans to put them on parole.

Mr Kampyongo was responding to a question raised by Mwinilunga MP, Stephen Katuka  who wanted to find out how many prisoners country-wide are aged seventy years and above as of August, 2014.

The law maker also wanted to know what offences they committed and whether government has any plans to release them on parole.

Mr Kampyongo however pointed out that about 975 prisoners were released during the Golden jubilees celebrations and 21 of those were the elderly.

He said some of the offences the elderly prisoners are involved in include witchcraft, murder, defilement, obtaining goods under false pretence, stock theft and theft of copper.

Meanwhile Deputy Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health Ingrid Mphande told parliament that according to the 2010 statistics the country has 251,427 persons with disabilities.

Ms Mphande said of this figure 130,302 are male while 121,125 are female..