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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) has released the 2023 first quarter Prison Admissions and Discharges Statistics Report which has shown that most of the new prisoners which were admitted during the period under review had committed theft which accounted for 20 percent of offences that were committed.

According to the report, unemployed female prisoners were mostly admitted for theft and drug related offences. Unemployed male prisoners were mostly admitted for theft, assault and burglary while. More than a quarter, 28,1 percent of the crimes that led to the imprisonment of male prisoners aged 60 years and above were rape cases.

Most of the prisoners were from Harare with 13,4 percent followed by Mashonaland West with 31,1 percent and Manicaland with 12, 9 percent followed by Midlands with 12,5 percent.

Bulawayo had the least number of prisoners with 3,3 percent followed by Matabeleland South with 4,4 percent and Matabeleland North with 5,3 percent. Prisoners from outside the country comprised 1,3 percent.

A total of 15 761 offences were recorded during the first quarter of the year.

Assault cases accounted for 15 percent of offences committed while burglary accounted for 12 percent, followed by robbery with 7,5 percent.

The highest proportion of new prisoners were aged between 20 and 24 years who accounted for 23,9 percent followed by those aged between 25 to 29 percent who accounted for 22,9 percent. Those aged between 15 to 19 years accounted for 7,3 percent.

New non-Zimbabwean prisoners had committed mostly immigration-related offences

ZimStat collects administrative data on prisoners from Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) for use in the production of the Quarterly Prison Admissions and Discharges Statistics Report

Presenting the 2023 first quarter prison admissions and discharges statistics report during a virtual meeting ZimStat director general Mr Taguma Mahonde said at the end of the first quarter there were 23 982 prisoners in prison facilities throughout the country. 23 341 of these were males while 641 were females.

“The national imprisonment rate was 158 per 100 000 people. The imprisonment rate among males was 320 per 100 000 people while for females it was eight per 100 000 people. Among the 23 982 prisoners held in Zimbabwe’s prisons 75,7 percent were sentenced and 24,3 people were not sentenced. A total of 12 558 new prisoners were admitted during the first quarter of 2023. Of these 11 707 were males and 851 were females. A total of 11 335 prisoners were discharged from prison during the first quarter 2023,” he said.

Mr Mahonde said reasons for discharge included expiry of sentence, community service, fine paid, time to pay, found not guilty, free bail pending trial, and remand out of custody. He said 62,2 percent of the prisoners were from rural areas while 37,8 percent were from urban areas.

“The employment status of new prisoners shows that the majority of new prisoners were unemployed with 59,6 percent. Most of the new prisoners were admitted into prison for theft, assaults, burglary, robbery (other) and domestic violence. Non new Zimbabwean prisoners had committed mostly immigration related offences which constituted for 84,1 percent. The 12 558 prisoners admitted during the first quarter had committed 15 761 offences. Of these offences, 14 516 were committed by males and 1 245 by females,” he said.

The Prison Admissions and Discharges Statistics Report sheds light on the prison population, the number and profile of prisoners who get admitted into and those who get discharge from the country’s prison facilities.

The President on May 12 exercised executive clemency and released a range of criminals jailed for many non-violent offences so long as they had served at least one third of their jail term by Independence Day last month as a measure of decongesting prisons which were now holding more than 22 000 prisoners.

The country’s prisons have a carrying capacity of 17 000. The clemency order excludes a range of prisoners, mainly violent criminals and men serving more than four years, while qualifying more women, juveniles, those with terminal illnesses and prisoners over 60.

Executive clemency is one of those presidential powers that require Cabinet consent and usually originates in a recommendation from the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs as modified as it climbs the ladder towards final approval.

@DubeMatutu