Zambian president pardons journalist who defamed predecessor

Zambian President Edgar Lungu has pardoned a journalist who was jailed after he was convicted of defaming late President Michael Sata, prison authorities confirmed on Tuesday

Chanda Chimba, a freelance journalist, was jailed in November last year after he was found guilty of defaming the late president when he was an opposition leader.

The journalist produced highly defamatory articles against Sata in the run up to the 2011 general elections which were aired on state broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation.

Percy Chato, the Commissioner-General of the Zambia Correctional Services, confirmed the release of the journalist.

He said the journalist has been released under compassionate ground which allows the country's leader to pardon terminally ill patients.

The journalist has prostate cancer.

The Zambian leader, during a visit to the northern part of the country recently, announced that he would consider pardoning the journalist.

The journalist has since thanked the Zambian leader for pardoning him, saying he spent most of his time at the Cancer Diseases Hospital because of his condition, according to the state broadcaster. Endit