HARARE – Vice President Constantino Chiwenga says Zimbabwe’s new parole framework, to be unveiled next year, will play a central role in decongesting prisons, strengthening rehabilitation and supporting the country’s broader correctional reforms, as the government moves toward a modern and humane penal system.
The system allows for conditional release of inmates, integrating them into communities before their full sentencing under supervision.
Speaking at the official opening of the inaugural African Parole System Conference in Harare on Monday, Chiwenga said the launch of Zimbabwe’s expanded parole system, now backed by the Prisons and Correctional Service Act,
marks a “critical turning point” in correctional policy.
He said the country’s previous parole model was too restrictive and failed to support reintegration.
“For decades, parole in Zimbabwe was narrow in scope, restricted largely to inmates with terminal illnesses,” Chiwenga said.
He described the new system as “structured, transparent and progressive.” It will be administered by a State Parole Board which will weigh prisoners’ reoffending risk, promote supervised reintegration and enhance public safety.
Chiwenga emphasised that the parole reforms are part of the government’s long-term plan to ease overcrowding in correctional facilities, improve living conditions for inmates and build a system centred on rehabilitation rather than punishment.
“We remain steadfastly committed to the establishment of correctional institutions that are modern, humane, technologically-driven and development-oriented,” he said.
“As we aspire to attain upper-middle-income status, we are compelled to advance systems that uphold human dignity, strengthen community safety and actively support offender rehabilitation.”
He said prison decongestion would be achieved not just through parole expansion, but through major investments in infrastructure.
“We are currently engaged in a systematic national process of constructing new, purpose-built prison facilities, extensively rehabilitating existing ones, and incorporating advanced digital technologies to strengthen offender management,” he said.
Chiwenga said these developments are designed to create environments “secure and conducive to personal transformation,” complementing the work of the parole system.
He also urged African countries to strengthen collaboration through bodies such as the African Correctional Services Association and the International Corrections and Prisons Association, saying Zimbabwe does not intend to reform its system alone.
“Zimbabwe acknowledges that it cannot, and indeed should not, endeavour to walk this transformative path in isolation,” he said.
“Through these collaborative platforms, we can collectively build correctional systems that are more resilient, modern and aligned to our developmental needs.”
Chiwenga told delegates that international experiences and regional cooperation will help Zimbabwe craft parole regulations that are practical and aligned to local realities.
“The invaluable insights you bring… will be vital in shaping Zimbabwe’s parole regulations,” he said. “These regulations must be crafted in a manner that is not only practical and implementable, but also responsive to our unique national realities.”
The vice president said the conference, the first of its kind in Africa, is expected to steer the continent’s restorative justice agenda and strengthen parole as a tool for safer and more rehabilitated societies.
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