Cabinet okays general amnesty

Women Affairs , Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa (right), Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Zhao Ding (centre) and Professional Women, Women Executives and Business Women’s Forum (PROWEB) president, Tendayi Hlupo-Mamvura toast to PROWEB’s 20th anniversary in Harare on Friday.

Herald Reporter
President Mnangagwa is expected to pardon prisoners following the approval of a general amnesty by Cabinet yesterday.

The move is expected to decongest the prison population which currently stands at 20 407 against a holding capacity of 17 000.

The last amnesty was granted in March last year.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa made the announcement yesterday during a post-Cabinet media briefing.

“The Proposed General Amnesty is targeted at all prisoners who have served at least one third of their sentences, save for those convicted of specified offences such as the following: murder, treason, rape or any sexual offence, carjacking, robbery, stock theft, and public violence.

“There shall be full remission of sentence to be granted to all prisoners who would have served life imprisonment for at least 15 years commutation,” she said.

She said the overpopulation in prisons posed a health hazard, especially considering the Covid-19 pandemic and the recommended measures to curtail the spread of the disease.