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Zvamaida Murwira

Senior Reporter

President Mnangagwa has granted an amnesty to all female prisoners and juveniles who are not serving specified offences, including those terminally ill, as Government moves to reduce the prison population to contain the effects of Covid-19.

Also to benefit are those serving up to 36 months prison terms, who would have served at least one third of their sentence.

All those in open prison are also set to benefit.

This is contained in a Statutory Instrument of an Extraordinary Government Gazette published this week by Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mrs Virginia Mabhiza, in terms of the Constitution.

According to the notice, there shall be a remission of the remaining period of imprisonment to be granted to all female prisons and juveniles, except those serving specified offences.

Specified offences are those serious offences such as murder, treason, public violence, car-jacking, trafficking in persons, unlawful possession of firearms and rape or any sexual offences.

The notice said there will be remission of the remaining period to be granted for those serving an effective 36 months or below who would have served at least one third of their sentence by the gazetting of the clemency order provided that they were not convicted of a specified offence.

Terminally ill prisoners who have been unwell for a prolonged period will benefit upon certification by a correctional medical officer or Government medical officer.

This will also be done in liaison with the Department of Social Welfare to ensure continued provision of medication.

The notice also provides for a full remission of the remaining period of imprisonment with respect to those above 50 with underlying conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease provided that they would have served at least one third of their sentence.

Those 60 years and above are also set to benefit if they would have served at least one third of their sentence.

Those on life imprisonment are also set to benefit provided that they would have served at least 15 years and this category applies to those who had their death sentence commuted to life imprisonment either on appeal or review.

Those sentenced to death and have not been executed, but were on death row for eight years will have their sentence committed to life.

Excluded from the amnesty are prisoners who had previously been released on amnesty, prisoners sentenced by a court martial, those with a record of escaping from lawful custody and those with a pending criminal appeal.

The General Amnesty proposal is meant to address decongestion in prison in relation to the health problems related to Covid-19, food and clothing challenges for prisoners, reads the notice.