In a statement yesterday, ZPCS National Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Meya Khanyezi said that 4 166 males inmates would be released while 104 female inmates had also benefited from the Presidential Amnesty.
Khanyezi appealed to the community to forgive and embrace the released inmates.
“We would like to appeal to the close family members, stakeholders and the society at large to embrace and accept inmates who have been released on amnesty. Successful reintegration of inmates back to society is not the sole mandate of ZPCS alone but it requires combined efforts from all citizens of Zimbabwe. These inmates were being rehabilitated and have been serving for the offences they committed against the state , therefore ,those aggrieved are encouraged to forgive them for their successful reintegration into the society,” said Khanyezi.
Harare Province benefited the most with 790 inmates being released, followed by Bulawayo Province that had 688 inmates who benefited from the latest Presidential Amnesty.
The amnesty was granted to various categories of prisoners including those who have served at least three-quarters of their sentence, or one tenth if over the age of 60.
Violent criminals as well as those serving time for robbery, treason and public order and security offences were excluded.
Political commentator, Nobleman Runyanga said that the release of prisoners was a noble gesture by President Mnangagwa as the move would help bring down overcrowding in the country's more than 50 detention centres, which have capacity for about 17 000 people but held more than 22 000 before the amnesty.
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa granted a similar amnesty at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 in a bid to curtail the spread of the virus in detention facilities.
