AS the second batch of 2 528 inmates walked out of various
prisons around Zimbabwe last week, benefiting from the Presidential clemency,
it was freedom at last for some, but others found themselves in an unexpected
fix.
For James Dube, Maxwell Sibanda and Mncedisi Ncube, it was
as if they were walking into yet another prison, a mental one.
Jail had been their home for over two decades. They thought
they would live and die there. Now they are stranded.
These men committed grave crimes and even though justice
was served, they still have to pay for that.
Currently housed at a church in Glen View, Harare, they are
not sure if their families will accept them or if they are still welcome there.
All three did not have a single relative or friend to
welcome them back into society when they were released.
There were no tears of joy, just anguish. Dube (56) was arrested for murder in 1996. In 1998, he was
condemned to death before his sentence was commuted to life in prison 17 years
later.
In the intervening years, he lost his wife. He last communicated with his relatives in 2015 during a
rare visit. His fear is that he may not be welcomed by his family and
society.
“When I was arrested, I left my mother, wife and two
children behind, but my wife later died. I was not at her funeral. I am not
sure if my children are still there or any other relative, so I am not sure
under whose roof I will live,” said Dube.
As for Sibanda (56),he was jailed for murdering a close
relative 26 years ago.
For him, this is not the first time that he has tasted
freedom after the gruesome murder. Sibanda has been freed on a Presidential
pardon before — but was re-arrested days later.
Prison authorities told him he had been released by
mistake.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail at a church in Glen
View, Sibanda feared history could play a trick on him once more.
“I was really heartbroken last time and never thought this
day would come,” he said.
“I should be happy now, but I am not sure what will happen
since I committed the offence within the family, so they may not accept me.”
While behind bars, none of Sibanda’s relatives visited.
Apart from having nowhere to go, he also needs help to get back on his feet.
Fifty-two-year-old Ncube was also jailed for murder in
1996. After two years, he was placed on death row before his sentence was
commuted to life in prison.
“I committed the murder in error while working at a local
farm,” he said.
“I am the first born in a family of 12 and was not married
by the time of arrest. Being the breadwinner by then, I am not sure how my
siblings fared without me because our mother died while I was in prison.”
Ncube’s relatives neither visited nor communicated with
him.
Since his incarceration, Government undertook the
Fast-Track Land Reform Programme and his fear is the farming community he knew
back then may not even exist anymore. Further, he might not be welcomed back
home.
The Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church has come to the
rescue of the three former inmates through a goodwill programme spearheaded by
Pastor Dickson Moyo.
Pastor Moyo, who is also the church prison director, told
The Sunday Mail that he had begun mediating between the released inmates and
their families.
“I have already contacted some of their relatives. So once
we secure fuel for travel, I am ready to take them to their villages,” he said.
“It is the church’s role to mend broken bonds with the help
of traditional leaders.”
The church also offers continued counselling sessions to
both the released inmates and their families before helping set-up projects for
sustainability.
However, financial constraints and transport costs remain a
challenge.
The three ex-prisoners said if their relatives do not
welcome them back, they will stay at local SDA churches as they rebuild their
lives.
As the world celebrates International Day of Families this
Friday, the day comes just after the release of Dube, Ncube, Sibanda and
thousands of other criminals.
ZPCS officials say society is yet to appreciate that
inmates fare better both inside and upon release if families support them.
Provincial Chaplain for Harare Metropolitan, Reverend
Superintendent Gift Chirara, said many families overlook that they are vital
for the rehabilitation of inmates.
“Society needs to stop stigmatising these people because
once they feel rejected, they revert to crime,” he said.
Release of murderers explained
The release of 2 528 inmates last week and 1 680 others
freed in March, is part of Government efforts to decongest the country’s
prisons, especially in the wake of the coronavirus. Of the recently released
population, six were serving life sentences.
According to the revised amnesty recently declared by
President Mnangagwa, the life in prison convicts were supposed to have served
at least 20 years to qualify for clemency.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officer
commanding Harare Province, Senior Assistant Commissioner Alvord Gapare, said:
“We commend the President for pardoning these inmates in line with the amended
amnesty aimed at decongesting our prisons.
“To complete the rehabilitation process, it calls for a
collective effort in society, being accommodative of the released inmates,
helping mould them into better people. At this stage, chiefs and village heads
need to be at the forefront, reuniting families.”
Overpopulation had become a problem in Zimbabwe’s various
prisons and recently the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs,
Ziyambi Ziyambi, said Government would start building new prisons. People released from prison
encounter endless problems, among them stigma and difficulties with
re-integrating into society.
For Dube, Ncube and Sibanda, it appears the ride will be a
lot rougher, unless they get more than just freebies. Stranded
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