News / Local
Prisoners on hunger strike over Mugabe amnesty
23 Feb 2014 at 01:57hrs | Views
PRISONERS at Khami Maximum Prison on Tuesday last week reportedly went on hunger strike in protest over the criteria used to determine those granted Presidential amnesty, this paper can reveal.
President Mugabe last week granted close to 2 000 prison inmates countrywide amnesty.
A prison warden at Khami said prisoners had come together to protest what they said was unfair amnesty as some believed they had committed lesser crimes but had not been pardoned.
"Though the strike ended in its early stages, the corrections department has taken every precaution," he said.
He said the prisoners' protest was not a first but this time they had also boycotted their duties and would not leave their cells.
"They refused to eat and they also refused to conduct any of their cleaning duties. Instead, they opted to stay in their cells," said the warden.
He said during the protest, the prisoners would not talk and had stopped using ablution facilities. Some of the prison wardens tried to feed some prisoners to no avail.
The prison warden said the incident was the prisoners' way of expressing their displeasure as they could not use physical force.
Another warden said the development was a result of the prisoners' failure to understand the process but the hunger strike would not be of any help as the decision had already been made.
He said the prisoners had demanded to be addressed by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe Prison Services (ZPS) spokesperson Bothwell Bosha said he had not heard about the hunger strike but had called for a full investigation.
"We have not heard anything yet from the prisons about a hunger strike. It will be my first time hearing that there is a strike of such sorts," he said.
ZPS Deputy Commissioner Huggins Machingauta recently urged the nation to accept released prisoners and give them a second chance.
All prisoners above the age of 70 and those who are terminally ill were pardoned regardless of the crimes they had committed.
However, he said prisoners that were facing charges of armed robbery, conspiracy, murder, or any sexual offence would not be pardoned.
The Correctional Services says it needs $1,2 million for food monthly but only got $300 000 from Treasury. There are 42 prisons countrywide housing 18 980 prisoners while the holding capacity is 17 000.
President Mugabe last week granted close to 2 000 prison inmates countrywide amnesty.
A prison warden at Khami said prisoners had come together to protest what they said was unfair amnesty as some believed they had committed lesser crimes but had not been pardoned.
"Though the strike ended in its early stages, the corrections department has taken every precaution," he said.
He said the prisoners' protest was not a first but this time they had also boycotted their duties and would not leave their cells.
"They refused to eat and they also refused to conduct any of their cleaning duties. Instead, they opted to stay in their cells," said the warden.
He said during the protest, the prisoners would not talk and had stopped using ablution facilities. Some of the prison wardens tried to feed some prisoners to no avail.
The prison warden said the incident was the prisoners' way of expressing their displeasure as they could not use physical force.
He said the prisoners had demanded to be addressed by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe Prison Services (ZPS) spokesperson Bothwell Bosha said he had not heard about the hunger strike but had called for a full investigation.
"We have not heard anything yet from the prisons about a hunger strike. It will be my first time hearing that there is a strike of such sorts," he said.
ZPS Deputy Commissioner Huggins Machingauta recently urged the nation to accept released prisoners and give them a second chance.
All prisoners above the age of 70 and those who are terminally ill were pardoned regardless of the crimes they had committed.
However, he said prisoners that were facing charges of armed robbery, conspiracy, murder, or any sexual offence would not be pardoned.
The Correctional Services says it needs $1,2 million for food monthly but only got $300 000 from Treasury. There are 42 prisons countrywide housing 18 980 prisoners while the holding capacity is 17 000.
Source - Sunday News
