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His Excellency
Levy Mwanawasa
President of the Republic of Zambia
Dear President Levy Mwanawasa,
We appeal to your presidential faculty of granting clemency to Mr.
Webster Chisanga, who is on death row in Mukobeko prison, Kabwe.
Webby Chisanga was convicted by the High Court for two crimes: attempted
murder, for which he was condemned to serve 18 years in prison, and
armed robbery, for which he was condemned to death.
In 1997 a document was published, known as “Notification of result of
Final Appeal”, stating the enforcement of the first sentence (the 18
years of prison), and cancellation of the second (the death sentence).
According to this, after having served the 18 years, Webby should have
been released.
Unfortunately in 1999 the Court realized a mistake was committed in 1997
because the High Court Judgement quotes the opposite, that is, that the
original sentences are actually those that Webby must serve.
Webby will therefore spend his whole life in prison unless he can get
clemency.
According to the Judgement the whole case was based on the testimony of
a single witness, who states he identified Webby as the person who one
night entered the shop he was guarding and stole some items before
shooting with a rifle the guard, who survived to tell his story.
Webster Chisanga was arrested in 1993 and sentenced to death in 1996.
Since then he has claimed his innocence, and his life, in the harsh
conditions of Mukobeko cells, knew great sufferings.
Great sufferings were felt also by his family, who too became victims
for the loss of economical and affective support provided them by Webby.
For this reason we beg you to grant Webster Chisanga your presidential
pardon.
Dear President, we are aware of your strong opposition to the death
penalty in your Country, and we therefore encourage you to go on along
your path of human rights defence.
The whole humanity more and more needs acts of courage performed by men
of courage, so that Peace and the capacity of sharing love may become,
among human beings the rule, and violence and hate the exception.
Yours sincerely
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