Cabinet has approved the 2026 General Amnesty as proposed by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, with President Mnangagwa set to exercise his constitutional power of mercy to pardon eligible offenders.
Addressing journalists during a post-Cabinet briefing, yesterday, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said the General Amnesty was in line with constitutional provisions and the rehabilitation mandate of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS).
“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,” said Dr Muswere.
He said the Presidential Clemency was meant to support rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders back into society.
“The Presidential Clemency aligns with the mandate of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services on the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders back into society,” he said.
Dr Muswere stressed that only inmates who have demonstrated good behaviour and readiness to reintegrate would benefit from the amnesty.
“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,” he said.
He added that the measure would also help ease congestion in correctional facilities.
“The Presidential Clemency will decongest the prison population for a healthy and secure environment for the remaining prisoners,” said Dr Muswere.
Dr Muswere outlined the categories of inmates eligible for the 2026 General Amnesty, which include all convicted female prisoners, juveniles, inmates serving an effective sentence of 48 months and below, the terminally ill, inmates at open prisons, prisoners aged 60 years and above, life-sentenced prisoners who have served at least 20 years, prisoners with disabilities, and an additional one-quarter remission for inmates serving more than 48 months.
However, he said the amnesty would not apply to certain categories of offenders.
“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 specified offences,” he said.
Dr Muswere said the excluded offences include murder, treason, rape or other sexual offences, carjacking, robbery, armed robbery, public violence, human trafficking, unlawful possession of a firearm, and offences under the Electricity Act, Postal and Telecommunications Act, Public Order and Security Act or Maintenance of Peace and Order Act, the Railway Act and the Copper Act.
