News / National
Mnangagwa grants amnesty to 3,000 inmates
21 Mar 2018 at 10:55hrs | Views
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly granted amnesty to 3,000 inmates.
Sometime in February 2018, Mnangagwa approved government plans to decongest the country's prisons by granting an amnesty to some inmates serving light sentences or experiencing health challenges.
Qualifying inmates are -female prisoners irrespective of offenses committed save for those sentenced to death, juveniles below 18 sentenced to 3 years and below and all terminally ill saving terms at the Open Prison.
The last amnesty was granted to more than 2 000 inmates by former President Robert Mugabe in May last year.
Current developments in the granting of amnesty to prisoners come on the backdrop of constant calls by opposition political parties for Mnangagwa to pardon political prisoners, who have been rotting in the country's jails.
Mnangagwa's name has recently been dragged into a case in which former Bikita West MP Munyaradzi Kereke is making frantic efforts to secure his freedom, claiming the 14-year jail sentence he was slapped with for raping his minor niece, was politically motivated.
Kereke was in 2016 slapped with a 14-year jail term for sexually abusing his relatives' then 11-year old daughter at gunpoint, but four years of his jail time were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Sometime in February 2018, Mnangagwa approved government plans to decongest the country's prisons by granting an amnesty to some inmates serving light sentences or experiencing health challenges.
Qualifying inmates are -female prisoners irrespective of offenses committed save for those sentenced to death, juveniles below 18 sentenced to 3 years and below and all terminally ill saving terms at the Open Prison.
ED grants amnesty to 3000 inmates. qualifying are
— Patience Rusare (@pershyk) March 21, 2018
-female prisoners irrespective of offenses committed save for those sentenced to death.
juveniles below 18
sentenced to 3 yrs & below
All terminally ill
saving terms at the Open Prison@matigary @ZimMediaReview @OpenParlyZw
The last amnesty was granted to more than 2 000 inmates by former President Robert Mugabe in May last year.
Current developments in the granting of amnesty to prisoners come on the backdrop of constant calls by opposition political parties for Mnangagwa to pardon political prisoners, who have been rotting in the country's jails.
Mnangagwa's name has recently been dragged into a case in which former Bikita West MP Munyaradzi Kereke is making frantic efforts to secure his freedom, claiming the 14-year jail sentence he was slapped with for raping his minor niece, was politically motivated.
Kereke was in 2016 slapped with a 14-year jail term for sexually abusing his relatives' then 11-year old daughter at gunpoint, but four years of his jail time were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Source - Byo24News
