The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) has submitted court paperwork in favour of Bobby Makaza, a former inmate convicted of r_ape, being released early.
Makaza’s release was given as part of a recent presidential amnesty, which has been criticised by rights activists as allowing r_apists to walk free.
Conviction and Release of Makaza
Bobby Makaza, 60, was sentenced to 16 years at Chikurubi Maximum Prison for raping a 9-year-old child in 2018. However, he was among hundreds of criminals given early release in May this year as part of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s jail amnesty.
After his release, Makaza’s celebratory remarks, chanting “Mnangagwa huchi (is sweet)” from a bus window, went viral on social media. This sparked public outrage, with many questioning the president’s decision to include child s_ex predators in the amnesty.
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The minor’s parents, supported by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), filed an application at the Harare High Court seeking an arrest warrant for Makaza.
They argued that under section 12(d) as read with 13(c) of Clemency Order No.1 of 2023, Makaza, as a convict in a specified offense, should not have been included among the beneficiaries of the amnesty.
ZPCS Defends Makaza’s Release
In defense of Makaza’s release, the acting Commissioner-General of ZPCS, Shepherd Mpofu, argued that it was in accordance with Clemency Order Number 1 of 2023.
This order granted full remission of sentence to prisoners aged 60 and above, regardless of their offense, except for those sentenced to life imprisonment, death, or convicted of public violence. .
Mpofu suggested that the minor and her parents should undergo professional counseling to better understand the nature of the crime, conviction, sentence, and Makaza’s release.
The case is yet to be scheduled for a hearing at the Harare High Court.
