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Victor Maphosa Mash East Correspondent
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) has released 363 prisoners from jails in Mashonaland East province following the Presidentail amnesty.

Out of the 363 inmates, 15 are females.

At least five prisoners are yet to be released pending the verification of their ages by prison authorities.

“So far, we have released 363 prisoners from our province. We had, after vetting, recommended the release of 368 prisoners, however, five of them are yet to be released after confirmation of their age. These are juveniles and the old aged.

“There is a grace period of three weeks for their relatives to bring their identification particulars and also for the office of the Registrar-General to process their particulars. If the grace period expires, the prisoners will continue serving their sentences,” said ZPCS Mashonaland East public relations officer assistant principal correctional officer Mrs Pamela Harris.

She said of the 363 prisoners, 219 were released from Marondera Prison, 33 from Chivhu Prison, while 111 prisoners were released from Murewa and Mutoko prisons.

Mrs Harris commended President Mnangagwa’s gesture, saying it had helped decongest some of the prisons.

ZPCS says the amnesty, however, did not cover habitual criminals serving extended prison sentences, persons previously released on amnesty and those serving sentences imposed by a court martial.

It also excludes inmates who might have escaped from lawful custody and are still at large by the date of gazetting the order, including prisoners that have been convicted for murder, treason, rape or any sexual offence, car-jacking and armed robbery.

More than 3 000 prisoners benefitted from the recent Presidential amnesty.