By Spy Uganda
Zimbabwe on Monday began releasing nearly 4,000 inmates granted presidential amnesty, marking the start of a major decongestion exercise aimed at easing pressure on the country’s overcrowded prisons.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi announced in Harare that the release of 3,978 beneficiaries had commenced, with a total of 4,305 inmates including 223 women expected to regain their freedom under the clemency programme.
“The nation should note that the release of the 3,978 beneficiaries begins today,” Ziyambi said at a press conference in the capital. He added that the initiative focuses on vulnerable groups and inmates who have shown significant progress in rehabilitation.
The amnesty was approved by Cabinet in February, the same day it endorsed sweeping constitutional amendments under a reform agenda championed by 83-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The proposed changes, which are yet to pass through Parliament, include extending the presidential term to seven years and granting lawmakers the authority to elect the president, effectively scrapping general presidential elections.
According to official data, Zimbabwe’s prisons held just over 24,000 inmates in the second quarter of 2025, raising longstanding concerns about congestion and living conditions in correctional facilities.
At Harare Central Prison, scenes of jubilation unfolded as selected inmates prepared to leave. On one side of the yard, prisoners still dressed in orange uniforms awaited their fate. On the other, men who had changed into civilian clothing queued for final processing before returning home.
Among those released was 23-year-old Tendai Chitsika, who had been serving a six-month sentence for theft and was two months away from completing his term. Describing his incarceration as a turning point, he said he was determined to rebuild his life.
“It was a learning curve for me. I’m a changed person and I promise to do good out there,” he said, expressing gratitude for the opportunity.
Some inmates broke into chants praising the president as they awaited release, with one holding up a banner bearing Mnangagwa’s image.
Ziyambi described the amnesty as reflecting a commitment to restorative justice, national compassion and the strategic decongestion of correctional facilities. However, the clemency does not extend to those convicted of serious crimes such as murder, robbery and rape, nor to individuals charged under the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act, legislation that has previously been used against protesters and opposition activists.
The amnesty unfolds against a backdrop of political tension in the southern African nation, where critics and opposition figures have voiced concern over the proposed constitutional amendments, describing them as a significant shift in Zimbabwe’s governance framework.
While debate over the reforms continues, authorities maintain that the prison release programme is a humanitarian and administrative measure aimed at improving correctional conditions and supporting reintegration for qualifying inmates.
