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Bulawayo Bureau
A TOTAL of 24 inmates, including five women, who were released on a Presidential amnesty are back in prison, hardly two weeks after gaining freedom.

A record 4 912 prisoners have been released from various prisons countrywide through President Mnangagwa’s Clemency Order last month.

Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services spokeswoman Assistant Commissioner Elizabeth Banda said they were investigating reasons why pardoned inmates were back in the cells so early.

“So far, we have released 4 912 inmates from all the prisons countrywide,” she said. “We have 24 inmates who have come back. We are investigating the reasons behind that and what really transpired.

“If they have come back on the same offence that they were serving before, we will find out why they committed the same offence.”

Asst Comm Banda said the inmates could have committed crimes because the community was not accommodating them.

More to follow…