By Agencies
THE Government has proposed a 2026 General Amnesty under which President Mnangagwa is expected, in terms of the Constitution, to exercise his Presidential Clemency powers by pardoning inmates in various categories, a move aimed at decongesting prisons and promoting rehabilitation and reintegration.
The proposed General Amnesty is part of broader criminal justice reforms and aligns with the mandate of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS), which prioritises offender rehabilitation, humane incarceration and the successful reintegration of reformed offenders back into society.
Under the initiative, inmates who have demonstrated good behaviour and readiness for reintegration are expected to benefit from the amnesty before the parole system comes into effect.
Briefing the media after the first Cabinet meeting of 2026, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services on Tuesday, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said Cabinet had approved proposals by the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for the implementation of the General Amnesty.
He said the Presidential Clemency is intended to ease pressure on correctional facilities, thereby creating a healthier and more secure environment for remaining inmates, while also allowing reformed offenders to rebuild their lives.
“The Presidential Clemency will decongest the prison population for a healthy and secure environment for the remaining prisoners. Prisoners that will benefit under the 2026 General Amnesty include all convicted female prisoners, juveniles, prisoners serving an effective period of 48 months and inmates certified terminally ill,” said Dr Muswere.
Other categories set to benefit include inmates at open prisons, prisoners with disabilities, and prisoners aged 60 years and above who are serving life sentences, provided they have already served at least 20 years.
In addition, prisoners sentenced to more than 48 months will be eligible for an additional one-quarter remission of their effective term of imprisonment.
However, Dr Muswere said the General Amnesty will not apply to all inmates, with several categories of offenders excluded in the interest of public safety and justice.
Excluded from the amnesty are prisoners who were previously released under an amnesty, those serving sentences imposed by a Court Martial, inmates with a history of escaping from lawful custody, and prisoners convicted of specified serious offences.
These include murder, treason, rape and other sexual offences, carjacking, robbery and armed robbery, public violence, human trafficking, unlawful possession of a firearm, and offences under several pieces of legislation, including the Electricity Act, the Postal and Telecommunications Act, the Public Order and Security Act or Maintenance of Peace and Order Act, the Railway Act and the Copper Act.
Presidential amnesties have, in recent years, been a key component of Government efforts to manage prison overcrowding and advance restorative justice.
In the most recent amnesty in 2024, President Mnangagwa granted clemency to more than 4 000 inmates across various categories and also commuted death sentences to life imprisonment for all prisoners who had been on death row for 10 years or more.
The 2026 General Amnesty is expected to follow a similar structured process, guided by constitutional provisions and recommendations from the relevant authorities
