Parole system to reduce prison population

The re-establishment of Zimbabwe's Parole System is expected to significantly ease overcrowding in the country's prisons, which currently house more than 25,000 inmates, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) Commissioner-General Moses Chihobvu has said.

Speaking at the Friends of the Commissioner-General Dinner in Harare last Friday, Comm-Gen Chihobvu said the reform marks a key milestone in the transformation of Zimbabwe's correctional system and the broader national development agenda under President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration.

He announced two major institutional reforms approved by Cabinet - the Parole System and the establishment of the Pathways to Reintegration Foundation (PAREF) - describing them as "milestones not only for ZPCS, but for the nation as a whole."

"Your presence is a clear demonstration of your commitment to the transformation of our correctional system and to the broader national development agenda under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr ED Mnangagwa," said Comm-Gen Chihobvu.

He said the reintroduced parole framework represents a strategic shift in correctional practices, offering a structured and supervised early-release mechanism for deserving inmates. The system, he noted, balances public safety with the reintegration of rehabilitated offenders into society.

"While previous systems were limited in scope, the new framework provides a structured, supervised early-release mechanism for deserving inmates," he said.

The initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to align ZPCS operations with international standards, the Constitutional mandate, the ZPCS Strategic Plan 2026–2030, and Vision 2030.

Comm-Gen Chihobvu also credited regional counterparts - including correctional services in Namibia, Zambia and South Africa - for sharing experiences that helped shape Zimbabwe's approach.

In recognition of the parole system's importance, ZPCS will host its inaugural Parole Conference next month, bringing together correctional leaders and experts from across Africa to exchange best practices in rehabilitation, technical and vocational skills training, entrepreneurship, and post-release support.

"Reintegration is not an event. It is a journey - a journey we must walk together. A call to partnership," Comm-Gen Chihobvu said.

He emphasised the need for community education to combat stigma and promote acceptance of rehabilitated inmates, stressing that true rehabilitation must be "humane, inclusive and people-centred."

PAREF, the newly established foundation, will focus on supporting ex-offenders through skills development, employment placement and livelihood programmes. It will be sustained through partnerships with government institutions, private sector players, civic organisations, faith-based groups and individuals committed to building safer communities.

"This is not a call for charity. This is a call for collaboration - for aligned purpose, for shared responsibility in building safer and stronger communities," he said.

The Ministry of Youth, Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training is among several stakeholders that have already expressed readiness to work with PAREF in advancing the reintegration and rehabilitation agenda.