Top news items in major Zambian media outlets

The following are news highlights in Zambia's major media outlets on Monday.

--Zambia's human rights body has expressed shock at the level of congestion in the country's prisons which are now being called correctional facilities, with a staggering 1,732 percent overcrowding rate in five of the correctional facilities.

Human Rights Commission (HRC) director Florence Chibwesha said Zambia's population had increased exponentially compared to the time when most of the prison facilities were opened in the post-independence era.

She said the current correctional facility population outstripped the infrastructure available, resulting in congesting which forces some inmates to sleep in a sitting position. (Daily Nation)

--Zambian President Edgar Lungu has assured that his administration will not interfere in the work of the Church.

Lungu said his visits to various churches were not political and meant to interfere in the affairs of the Church as claimed by his opponents.

The Zambian leader added that church leaders were free to mingle with government official, adding that the government and the Church complement each other. (Zambia Daily Mail)

--The Zambian government said it targets to improve the water transport system in the next 12 months in a holistic approach to the transport sector.

Minister of Transport and Communication Brian Mushimba said the government has commenced the process of opening up water transportation which has for a long time received little investment.

The government is currently dredging canals to open up the water ways in selected parts of the country, he added. (Times of Zambia) Endit