Online Reporter
Theseus Shambare
INMATES, despite their different sentence levels, have the right to appeal and access legal remedies.
This was said by Permanent Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mrs Vimbai Nyemba, during her visit to Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison today as she interacted with inmates who were previously on death row.
“Do you know that you have rights despite being sentenced to life imprisonment? You even have a right to appeal your sentence,” she said.
Albert Chigumba, one of the inmates, said while he welcomed the abolition of the death penalty, he feels life imprisonment is still harsh.
“I am happy the death penalty has been lifted, but life in prison is still very hard, especially since the system is supposed to focus on correction rather than punishment,” he said.
Mrs Nyemba’s visit is part of a broader initiative by the Ministry of Justice to educate inmates about their legal rights following the abolition of the death penalty in December last year.
Prison officials described the engagement as an important step toward ensuring that inmates are aware of their rights and the avenues available to seek sentence review or rehabilitation opportunities.
The Ministry of Justice has indicated that similar outreach programmes will continue across other high-security facilities, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to human rights-based reforms in Zimbabwe’s correctional system.
