President Emmerson Mnangagwa has authorized the release of certain categories of inmates, including women, juveniles, and prisoners with disabilities, under Clemency Order 1 of 2024.

This marks the second presidential amnesty within a year, following last year’s pardon of over 4,000 inmates.

“The President, in accordance with section 112(1)(a) and (d) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, has issued the order outlined in the Schedule. This order is referred to as Clemency Order No. 1 of 2024,” stated a government gazette published on Monday by Vimbai Nyemba, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, under General Notice 467 of 2024.

The amnesty also extends to prisoners serving sentences of 48 months or less, who have completed one-third of their sentence by April 18, provided they are not convicted of specified offenses.

Excluded offenses include murder, treason, rape or any sexual offense, carjacking, robbery, public violence, human trafficking, unlawful possession of firearms, contravention of the Electricity and Telecommunications Acts, as well as contravention of the Public Order and Security Act/Maintenance of Peace and Order Act.

Additionally, inmates aged 60 years and above are eligible for clemency, while those on death row for 10 years or more will have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.

However, the amnesty does not apply to inmates previously released on amnesty, those serving sentences imposed by Court Martial, or those with a history of escaping from lawful custody.

Qualified inmates are expected to be released from the country’s prisons starting this Wednesday.