Mnangagwa to pardon thousands of prisoners in new clemency move

By Staff Reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to pardon thousands of prisoners languishing in Zimbabwean jails under a new clemency move aimed at decongesting the country’s correctional facilities.

This was announced Tuesday at a post-cabinet media briefing in Harare.

The 2026 amnesty covers a wide range of convictions but excludes persons jailed for specified offences which include murder, treason, rape or sexual offence, carjacking, robbery, armed robbery, public violence, human trafficking, unlawful possession of a firearm, among others.

FULL STATEMENT AS PRESENTED IN POST-CABINET MEETING

Cabinet considered and approved the 2026 General Amnesty as proposed by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.

Cabinet advises that His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa will, in terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, exercise his power of mercy to grant pardon to any person concerned in or convicted of an offence against the law.

The Presidential Clemency aligns with the mandate of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) on the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders back into society.

Inmates who have demonstrated good behaviour and readiness to be reintegrated into society will benefit through the 2026 General Amnesty before the Parole system comes into effect.

The Presidential Clemency will decongest the prison population for a healthy and secure environment for the remaining prisoners.

The following categories of prisoners will benefit under the 2026 General Amnesty:

a) all convicted female prisoners;
b) juveniles;
c) prisoners serving an effective period of 48 months and below;
d) inmates certified terminally ill;
e) prisoners at Open Prison;
f) all prisoners aged 60;
g) prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, provided they have
served 20 years;
h) prisoners with disabilities; and
i) an additional one quarter remission of the effective term of imprisonment to those prisoners who were sentenced to more than 48 months.

The General Amnesty will exclude any prisoner who was previously released on amnesty; any person serving a sentence imposed by a Court Martial; any person with a record of escaping from lawful custody; and any inmate convicted of any specified offence.

The specified offences include murder, treason, rape or sexual offence, carjacking, robbery, armed robbery, public violence, human trafficking, unlawful possession of a firearm, contravention
of the Electricity Act, the Postal and Telecommunications Act, the Public Order and Security Act/ the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act, the Railway Act; and the Copper Act.