ZAMBIA’S PRESIDENTIAL PARDON AND APPOINTMENT OF MUSICIAN WHO RAPED 14 YEAR OLD AS COUNTRY’S AMBASSADOR AGAINST VIOLENCE TOWARDS WOMEN QUESTIONED

MUSICIAN CLIFFORD DIMBA

In 2014 a Zambian court found Musician Clifford Dimba aka General Kanene guilty of raping a 14 year old girl and sentenced him to 18 years imprisonment. However, just one year into the prison term the newly sworn in President of Zambia, Edgar Lungu not only had him released from prison but also went on to appoint him as the country’s ambassador against violence towards women.

The United Nations human rights experts have not only expressed dismay with his appointment but also requested the musician be stripped of his appointment as it is known that the singer has yet to change his unacceptable ways towards the female gender. This is based on the fact that the singer has been reported to have committed two more acts of violence against women since he was released from prison on pardon.

The United Nations Council of Human Rights reacting through the UN Rapporteur Dubravka Simonovic stated that “such an outrageous release and appointment as an ambassador for the fight against gender-based violence not only traumatizes the victim all over again but discourages other victims from reporting similar offences.” and he added that “the pardon and appointment undermine the strong message against sexual abuse of women and girls that was sent with the original sentence and trivialize the serious nature of these offenses.”

The UN Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography Maud de Boer-Buquicchio weighing in on the issue said reports of General Kanene was involved in other attacks on women “clearly shows that impunity for these offences generates more violence and harm.”

The advice to Zambia is that it should take steps to provide protection and ensure that people were educated on preventive measures against such crimes.

Really this goes to show that the pardon granted General Kanene did not serve any positive purpose and should be withdrawn and his prison term be completed. Only then would the message impact effectively on not only the 'General' but on all other offenders.