Court frees miniskirt juvenile
TWO women cried with joy when the Lusaka Magistrates’ court set free a juvenile and her 28-year-old aunt after the state entered a nolle prosequi in a case they were charged with idle and disorderly persons.
The accused, who could not hold back their tears, walked out of a fully packed court room four in tears with their hands up, praising God for the discharge.
They received congratulatory hugs from relatives and sympathisers among them Non- Governmental Organizations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) chairperson Sarah Longwe.
The duo was alleged to have acted in a disorderly manner after a police officer questioned the juvenile why she wore a very short skirt.
In this case Miriam Mwanza, 28, of Kamanga compound and the 16-year-old girl are charged with idle and disorderly persons contrary to Section 178 (f) of the penal code chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the offence were that on December 22, 2018, the pair publicly conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of peace.
It is alleged that on the material day the juvenile, in the company of her aunt, wore a miniskirt as they passed by Kamanga police station.
When an officer asked why she was putting on a short skirt, Mwanza and the juvenile responded asking the officer why he did not question another person who had just passed by in a similar short skirt.
Mwanza’s and the juvenile’s reaction to the police officer led to the apprehension of both.
When the matter came up before Lusaka Magistrate Nsunge Chanda yesterday, Senior Public Prosecutor Valerian Chulu told the court that the state was withdrawing the matter following instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Meanwhile, Ms Longwe told journalists that she would instigate investigations to find out what really happened on the material day.
Ms Longwe added that the police erred when they arrested the duo as there is no law that governed adress code in Zambia.