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The Herald, 11 April, 1980

A TOTAL of 7 671 prisoners have been released under the amnesty exercise established by Lord Soames after his arrival here in late December, a spokesman of the Ministry of Justice said in Salisbury yesterday.

The examination of cases qualifying for the amnesty was continuing, and prisoners were being released each day as they were identified, the spokesman said.

The releases were made in terms of “the amnesty and pardon granted by him (Lord Soames) in the exercise of the prerogative of mercy”.

The prisoners released are believed to be those held under martial law and detainees held under the Law and Order Maintenance Act, Iana reports. 

They include several people imprisoned for criminal offences, but who have fallen under the provisions of the amnesty largely because their offences were considered politically motivated.

Among recent leases are five men, one white member of the security forces and four blacks, who were charged with lobbing a hand grenade at the home of Prime Minister, Mr Robert Mugabe, in February.

Another two whites facing charges in the High Court here of murder and attempted murder, have applied for acquittals under amnesty after they allegedly killed two men and injured several others by firing at pedestrians and vehicle passengers as they travelled on a road in north-eastern Rhodesia.

Both men, a district commissioner and his assistant, were said to have been in an area “completely lost” to the ZANLA guerilla forces and under considerable depression with the progress of the Lancaster House.

Lessons For Today

Amnesty is a procedure of radical clemency that decrees forgetting of wrongdoing. It was previously used in Europe during the aftermath of major civil crises in an effort to end confrontation and revive community life. It was used in varying ways and reasons depending on the leadership.

In Zimbabwe, amnesty has previously been applied through the Amnesty (General Pardon) Act [Chapter 9.03]. This Act, which authorises discontinuance of prosecution, is popularly known as the Presidential pardon, as it is exercised by the President. 

 Zimbabwe has seen a number of pardons, the latest being the one proclaimed by President Mnangagwa last year, which saw more than 4 000 prisoners being released from the country’s prisons.

 Apart from clemency, amnesty is critical in controlling prison populations.