News / Local
'Zimbabwe prisoners have no voting rights'
27 Jul 2017 at 08:01hrs | Views
VICE-President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday told Parliament that prisoners have no voting rights.
This was after Lwazi Sibanda (MDC-T Proportional Representation) asked him to explain government policy regarding voting rights of prisoners and people living in the Diaspora.
"The concept of prison is that after you have committed a crime, you forfeit your rights of being a free person, and so if you are a prisoner all fundamental rights that everybody enjoys as a free person are forfeited upon imprisonment," Mnangagwa said.
"Prisoners do not vote.
"However, people in the Diaspora are allowed to vote 100%, and it means if their address is in Chipinge, they must go to Chipinge to vote."
In an unrelated issue, Nketa lawmaker, Phelela Masuku asked whether prisoners were now getting a balanced diet and Mnangagwa said due to the bumper harvest, maize meal and vegetable rations at prisons had improved.
"The maize stock will last until August 2017 (sic) courtesy of the 300 000 tonnes received from drought relief and 121 900 tonnes of rice for the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services to enhance their diet," the Vice-President said.
Mnangangwa said 190 596 kilogrammes of vegetables had also been produced to feed prisoners, while 9 934 kilogrammes of beans and dried vegetables are also in stock.
This was after Lwazi Sibanda (MDC-T Proportional Representation) asked him to explain government policy regarding voting rights of prisoners and people living in the Diaspora.
"The concept of prison is that after you have committed a crime, you forfeit your rights of being a free person, and so if you are a prisoner all fundamental rights that everybody enjoys as a free person are forfeited upon imprisonment," Mnangagwa said.
"Prisoners do not vote.
"However, people in the Diaspora are allowed to vote 100%, and it means if their address is in Chipinge, they must go to Chipinge to vote."
In an unrelated issue, Nketa lawmaker, Phelela Masuku asked whether prisoners were now getting a balanced diet and Mnangagwa said due to the bumper harvest, maize meal and vegetable rations at prisons had improved.
"The maize stock will last until August 2017 (sic) courtesy of the 300 000 tonnes received from drought relief and 121 900 tonnes of rice for the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services to enhance their diet," the Vice-President said.
Mnangangwa said 190 596 kilogrammes of vegetables had also been produced to feed prisoners, while 9 934 kilogrammes of beans and dried vegetables are also in stock.
Source - newsday
