The National Assembly called on the government to:

• Allocate adequate funds to ZPCS in the upcoming national budget;
• Rehabilitate old prison infrastructure and build new facilities to redce congestion
• Improve access to healthcare, nutrition and sanitation
• Strengthen mental health and rehabilitation programs
• Ensure transparent oversight and periodic reporting to Parliament

Zimbabwe’s Parliament has called for sweeping reforms to the country’s prison system, warning that worsening conditions across the nation’s correctional facilities amount to a violation of inmates’ human rights and undermine rehabilitation efforts.

Presenting a detailed motion in the National Assembly on Thursday, Zanu-PF MP Eddison Zvobgo Mudiwa painted a grim picture of life in Zimbabwe’s prisons, from Chikurubi Maximum in Harare to Khami, Mutimurefu, Marondera, Gwanda, Hwange, and Beitbridge, saying most institutions are overcrowded, dilapidated and severely underfunded.

The motion urged government to urgently modernise correctional facilities and improve inmate welfare in line with constitutional and international human rights obligations.

Zvobgo said most prisons were built decades ago and no longer meet the needs of a growing inmate population.

“Our prisons have become places of suffering rather than rehabilitation,” he told Parliament, highlighting that many inmates sleep without mattresses, share limited ablution facilities and survive on inadequate meals.

At Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, the country’s largest correctional centre, severe overcrowding has forced inmates to sleep in shifts, while poor ventilation and limited sanitation have contributed to outbreaks of tuberculosis and skin diseases.

In Khami Prison near Bulawayo, water shortages and sewer blockages have become routine, compromising hygiene. Mutimurefu Prison in Masvingo, Whawha Prison near Gweru, and Marondera Prison in Mashonaland East face similar challenges, with inadequate medical supplies and shortages of basic items such as soap and clothing.

Women’s prisons, including Chikurubi Female Prison, are also struggling to cater to the needs of expectant mothers and children living with their incarcerated parents. MPs noted that female inmates lack access to sanitary products, proper nutrition and privacy.

Pretrial congestion and justice delays

Lawmakers expressed deep concern over the large number of pretrial detainees held in remand prisons such as Harare and Mutare Remand. Some have spent several years in custody awaiting trial due to judicial delays, a situation described as both unconstitutional and inhumane.

Zvobgo urged the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to accelerate case processing and promote alternative sentencing, such as community service and fines, for minor offences to reduce congestion.

The motion also highlighted the plight of prison officers, who work long hours in poor conditions with minimal pay and psychological support. MPs said rehabilitation programs such as skills training, counselling, and education have collapsed due to lack of resources.

Zimbabwe’s prison population is estimated at over 23,000 inmates against a carrying capacity of about 17,000, according to recent figures, highlighting the scale of the crisis that lawmakers say can no longer be ignored.