CLAIM: Zimbabwe’s prisons have a holding capacity of 17 000 prisoners but have about 22 000 inmates
SOURCE: Times Live
VERDICT: TRUE
Even though Zimbabwe’s prison facilities have a holding capacity of 17 000, they did hold over 22 000 inmates as mentioned by Times Live, before the latest amnesty.
South African newspaper Times Live on 14 May 2023 ran an article where they claimed that the country’s correctional facilities are holding 22 000 inmates, overwhelming their 17,000 prisoners capacity.
“Zimbabwe’s prisons have a holding capacity of 17 000 prisoners but have about 22 000 inmates,” reads part of the news story.
The article was also posted on the media house’s social media platforms.
A research by FactCheckZW shows that the figures are correct. The country’s prisons indeed have a total holding capacity of 17 000 inmates and they did hold over 22 000 inmates as of August 2022 which is 5000 more than the ideal holding capacity.
Credit: AP/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi
According to World Prison Brief, as of August 2022, the prison population total including pre-trial detainees or suspects remanded in custody, was 22 114 inmates.
The Sunday News in their article last August also quoted the Minister of Imformation, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa also confirming about the number of inmates in the prisons.
She was quoted as saying, “The rationale behind the proposal is to decongest our prisons, whose population as at 29 August this year stood at 22 114, against an official holding capacity of 17 000 inmates. This means that 4 798 inmates do not have adequate floor space as required by the Constitution, and this compromises the health of inmates, among other challenges”.
The prison population rate per 100 000 of national population is 121. Pre-trial detainees take 25.2 percent of the prison population while there are 2.1 percent of female prisoners.
Juveniles or young prisoners contribute to 0.6 percent of prison population while foreign prisoners make 1.9 percent.
In Zimbabwe, there are 46 main prisons and 26 satellite prisons bringing them to a total of 72 prison facilities.
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS), through its Public Relations Officer, Peter Chaparanganda, could neither confirm nor deny the figures, but, however, confirmed that some inmates were being released to decongest.
Credit: Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara
However, these figures are in contrast with the ones published by the Justice Ministry on their website that, “The official holding capacity is 17 000 whilst our prison population fluctuates around 19 000 inmates”.
It is not indicated on the website the period these figures were last updated.
However, on 18 May 2023 ZPCS released 4 270 prisoners following a presidential amnesty, which would have left the prison population at slightly under 18 000.
Conclusion
The claim by South African newspaper Times Live that Zimbabwe’s correctional facilities are holding 22 000 inmates, overwhelming their 17 000 prisoners capacity, has been rated as correct. Although the Justice Ministry figures are less at 19 000, they are given as an estimate and are not dated. Other sources, including the cabinet, represented by the Information minister, put the figures at over 22 000 as of August 2022.
