1 680 prisoners pardoned under Presidential amnesty

Nqobile Tshili/Patrick Chitumba, Chronicle Reporters
A TOTAL of 1 680 of the 5 000 prisoners pardoned under the Presidential Amnesty have been released with 339 beneficiaries coming from Matabeleland region.

President Mnangagwa on Friday pardoned 5 000 prisoners serving for non-violent crimes as part of measures to decongest the country’s prisons whose population had ballooned to over 20 000.

Among those who are being released include those serving life sentence and have served at least 25 years.

The prisoners were pardoned in line with Government Gazette (General Notice 673 of 2020) under Clemency Order 1 of 2020.

The pardoned inmates will be gradually released from jails across the country.

The prison population stands at 22 000 against an official holding capacity of 17 000.

In Bulawayo 198 prisoners have been released among them a woman while in Matabeleland South, 75 were freed including three women and 66 inclusive of a woman, were set free in Matabeleland North.

Midlands province had the highest number of pardoned prisoners as 296 were set free, among them 11 women.

Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) national spokesperson Superintendent Meya Khanyenzi said they have done their part in rehabilitating inmates and communities should embrace them.

“We have started releasing prisoners who benefited under the Presidential Amnesty. As of today, (yesterday) 1 680 prisoners have been released. Our appeal is that the society where they come from should embrace them so that they can fit in. We have done a lot in rehabilitating the pardoned inmates so that is why they managed to fit in the Presidential Clemency Order.

“It is now left to their families and communities to embrace them. Otherwise, failure to embrace them could result in them being repeat offenders as they find acceptance behind bars,” said Supt Khanyenzi.

In the past, ZPCS has raised concerns over repeat offenders saying they committed more crimes to escape discrimination by society outside prison.

She said society should not discriminate the pardoned prisoners as they have been empowered to be exemplary citizens through correctional services.

ZPCS spokesperson for Midlands/Masvingo region chief correctional officer Mr Jere Ruzive said released prisoners have been taught about Covid-19 and the need for social distancing.

“We urge the released inmates to comply with isolation, practice hygiene so that they remain safe. Job opportunities may not be available them upon their release and they have been advised to be patient and wait for the end of the lockdown to start looking for work and not engage in criminal activities,” he said.

Mr Ruzive said as of yesterday, Midlands prisons had 2 319 inmates against the holding capacity of 2 619.

Meanwhile, Energy Park and Bulk Fuels Private Limited has donated 1000 litres of sanitisers to ZPCS to fight Covid-19 in prisons.

ZPCS Commissioner-General Retired Major General Paradzai Zimondi received the donation which will be distributed across all the prisons in the country. — @nqotshili

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