Zimbabwe Begins Releasing Thousands of Prisoners Under Presidential Amnesty

Zimbabwe has begun releasing nearly 4,000 inmates who were granted presidential amnesty in a bid to ease overcrowding in prisons.

Zimbabwe has started releasing nearly 4,000 inmates granted presidential amnesty, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi announced Monday in Harare. The cabinet approved the amnesty in February, the same day it passed constitutional changes allowing President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term to extend until 2030.

The program will ultimately free 4,305 prisoners, including 223 women, prioritizing vulnerable groups and those showing progress in rehabilitation. Inmates convicted of serious crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, or violations of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act were excluded.

One beneficiary, 23-year-old Tendai Chitsika, serving a six-month sentence for theft, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to reintegrate into society. Minister Ziyambi described the amnesty as a reflection of “restorative justice, national compassion, and strategic decongestion of correctional facilities.”