HARARE, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe began releasing nearly 4 000 inmates on Monday 2 March, after President Emmerson Mnangagwa (83) granted them amnesty in a move aimed at reducing prison overcrowding.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi announced at a press conference in Harare that 3 978 prisoners would begin their release that day, with a total of 4 305 inmates, including 223 women, set to be freed under the scheme.
“The nation should note that the release of the 3 978 beneficiaries begins today,” Ziyambi said.
The amnesty focuses on vulnerable groups and inmates who have shown progress in rehabilitation. Zimbabwe’s prisons held just over 24 000 inmates in the second quarter of 2025, according to recent national data.
Among those released was Tendai Chitsika (23), who had been serving a six-month sentence for theft and was two months from completion.
“It was a learning curve for me. I’m a changed person and I promise to do good out there,” Chitsika said at Harare Central Prison. “I want to thank the president for this opportunity.”
At the prison yard, hundreds of inmates sat in two groups. Those still in orange prison uniforms would remain behind, while men in civilian clothes waited to be processed for release. Some prisoners chanted “Mnangagwa huchi”, which loosely translates to “Mnangagwa is honey”, while one held a banner bearing the president’s face.
Ziyambi said the amnesty “reflects a profound commitment to restorative justice, national compassion and the strategic decongestion of correctional facilities”.
The scheme excludes prisoners convicted of murder, robbery, rape or contravention of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act, a charge previously used against protesters and political opposition members.
The cabinet announced the amnesty in February, the same day it approved constitutional amendments that opposition figures have denounced as a constitutional “coup”. The proposed changes, which require parliamentary approval, include extending the presidential term to seven years and giving parliament the power to elect the president instead of direct elections.
Parliament is weighted in favour of Mnangagwa’s ruling Zanu-PF party. The southern African country has experienced rising opposition to Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF since last year, with the constitutional amendments intensifying political tensions.
