Harare moves to ease prison congestion

Correctional services authorities are reportedly seeking President Emmerson Mnangagwa's consent to pardon at least 2 000 inmates in order to ease congestion in Zimbabwe's overloaded prisons. The Chronicle reports that Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the proposed release was a priority of his Ministry’s 100-day plan. He said his Ministry was also working on clearing the 374 mentally ill prisoners to reduce the congestion. The country's prisons accommodate at least 19 000 prisoners, more than 2 000 more than their intended capacity. At least 2 000 prisoners were released in 2016.