By Trevor Makonyonga
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum has delivered a petition to President Emmerson Mnangangwa to release prisoners as an effort to reduce COVID 19 infections in prisons.
The petition was hand delivered on 12 February around 1300 hours at the offices of the president in Harare.
In a statement, The Forum’s Executive Director, Dr Musa Kika, said that the carrying capacity of the prisons had been exceeded hence the need to exercise the presidential pardon.
“Clearly, the risk of COVID-19 spreading in our overcrowded prisons is too high. There are nearly 22 000 prisoners in Zimbabwe today against a total holding capacity of 17 000 and worryingly the government has no strategy in place to contain the spread of the virus. Granting of a presidential pardon is the right thing to right now to protect the vulnerable prisoners,” he said.
According to the statement, sample tests carried out by prison authorities in January this year at Mutimurefu Prison in Masvingo Province showed that 110 inmates out of 150 that were tested were positive of COVID-19.
This translates to nearly 75% of the sampled prisoners which spells a disaster if the sample is applied across the prison population.
“Vulnerable inmates including those with pre-existing medical conditions; the elderly and juveniles have been identified as potential beneficiaries of the presidential pardon. Additionally, prisoners serving for petty offences and those that served a greater part of their sentences and do not pose grave danger to the community should be considered.”
The petition also calls on the president to direct responsible government ministries and the National COVID-19 Taskforce to develop and publish a COVID-19 prevention and response strategy in prisons in line with regional best practices.
The Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is also expected to conduct an inquiry on the state of prisons, produce a report and devise a long-term strategy to address perennial problems affecting Zimbabwean prisons.
Prison authorities in Zimbabwe have struggled to provide basic needs like water for consumption and bathing, standard ablution facilities, food and medical care for decades.
Last month, MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere tested positive for COVID-19 after seven days of pre-trial incarceration at the country’s notorious Chikurubi Maximum Prison. This is despite the fact that she said she had been put in the isolation cell at the prison’s quarantine section.
