Sistah Sistah Foundation in court but govt fails to produce docket for prosecution

The Sistah Sistah Foundation has appeared at the Lusaka magistrate court but failed to take a plea.

Ann Kazhila Hollard, a Quality Specialist at the Sistah Sistah Foundation, Chilombu Kabambi a programme Director, Luse Mwila Chanda, an Administrative Assistant, Gladys Mwangala Monde, a co- founder of the foundation appeared on Monday and the state informed them that the docket was not ready.

The police had arrested the four women for allegedly organising an unlawful assembly and giving false information to public officers.

The Zambia Police had summoned them over the march saying that they wanted to ascertain why the event was turned into a forum for championing homosexuality.

However, according to them, they had notified police for a permit to hold the march against the rise of sexual gender-based violence in the country.

The arrests were made in connection with a march against sexual gender-based violence organized by the Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on promoting women’s rights and girls’ sanitary care.

The activists described the arrest as appalling.

The Foundation later released a statement denying that the march was a forum for championing homosexuality and expressing their disappointment with the arrests.

The organization has in the past organized marches to express displeasure at the growing rate of sexual gender-based violence cases against girls and women that go unpunished.

Zambian law on LGBTQA+ Section 155 (“Unnatural Offences”) criminalizes homosexual sex as a felony punishable by terms of imprisonment which range from fifteen years up to a life sentence.

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