By Enyichukwu Enemanna
In an effort to decongest the overcrowded prisons facilities in the country, authorities in Zimbabwe have rolled out a presidential amnesty programme seeking to release at least 4,000 inmates
To this end, at least 800 inmates were released on Friday from the Central Prison and Chikurubi Maximum Prison in the capital, Harare.
According to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services spokeswoman Meya Khanyezi, prison facilities in other parts of the country had on Thursday commenced the release of inmates qualified for the presidential amnesty.
She said the amnesty would “go a long way in reducing the prison population.” Zimbabwe’s prisons have a capacity of 17,000 but hold more than 20,000 inmates.
Amnesty International had earlier described the conditions of prisons in the country as “deplorable.”
Zimbabwe with a total population of about 15 million people, regularly uses the presidential amnesty to decongest prisons.
A beneficiary of the latest amnesty, John Mafararikwa, who was serving a 17-month sentence for theft, expressed relief.
“It’s overcrowded and the food is bad. Most of the time we would eat food prepared without cooking oil,” said the 71-year-old, boarding a prison bus taking him and other amnesty beneficiaries away from Harare Central Prison.
At Chikurubi Maximum Prison, freed women prisoners hugged prison officers, while men rushed for the back of an open truck waiting to transport them from the jail.
Others thanked President Emmerson Mnangagwa for showing mercy, including the superintendent of Chikurubi prison.
All women imprisoned for non-violent crimes and who served a third of their sentences are to are to benefit from the presidential amnesty programme.
Terminally ill people will be released regardless of the crime committed, while blind prisoners and those “who are physically challenged that they cannot be catered for in a prison” had their remaining sentences fully remitted.
Prisoners aged 60 years old and above and juveniles are also among beneficiaries of the amnesty, while those who have been on the death row for the past 10 years had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.
Zimbabwe still has the death penalty, but has not hanged anyone since 2005. President Mnangagwa has previously said he is against the death penalty.
Those serving life in prison but have been in jail for the past 20 years will also be freed.
