#ElectionsZW: No voting rights for prisoners says Ziyambi

Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has poured cold water on calls to give prisoners the right to vote.

In Zimbabwe, prisoners do not enjoy the right to vote and hopes had been raised when the government announces that it was working on the Prisons and Correctional Services Bill.

However, answering questions from journalists at the Cabinet press briefing, Minister Ziyambi said those who wish to vote in Zimbabwe should not commit crimes.

‘’Coming to the question on prisoners’ privilege to vote, Honourable Chair, once you become prisoner certain rights no longer accrue to you. And within our current laws our prisoners do not have the right to vote, so if you want the right to vote don’t commit a crime,’’ he said.

Zimbabwe has thousands of people in its prisons that saw President Emmerson Mnangagwa pardoning several others a few years ago.

Despite the Presidential Pardon, the prisons are still overcrowded and putting a lot of pressure on the infrastructure and operational budget.

These thousands of people will not get an opportunity to vote in the impending March 26 by-elections where certain wards and constituencies are gap-filling.

Prisons and Correctional Services Bill principles approved by Cabinet

Meanwhile, Cabinet announced that it had approved the principles of the Prisons and Correctional Services Bill that had been presented by Minister Ziyambi.

According to Minister Ziyambi, the new Bill will enable the government to come up open prisons for pregnant women and those that have infants.

Currently, pregnant women and those that have children are all put in one facility.

He said ‘’in the new Bill we are creating several prisons or community centres that are more like open prisons and we are targeting to have certain categories for pregnant women and those with infants to go there.

‘’So, we are coming up within the Bill several decongestion mechanisms that will cater for some of those categories that are vulnerable to ensure that they are a bit comfortable beside the fact that the budget we were given as ministry for justice, the bulk of that money is for prisons and correction services,’’ he said.

#ElectionsZW: No voting rights for prisoners says Ziyambi