Zimbabwe’s prisons are holding nearly 10,000 inmates over their official capacity.
In an internal memo dated 7 January 2026, seen by ZimLive, Prosecutor General Loice Matanda-Moyo revealed that the country’s prison population stands at 27,683, while the official capacity is only 17,800.
To address the crisis, Matanda-Moyo instructed all public prosecutors to take overcrowding into account during bail hearings and sentencing.
She urged them to actively consider bail, fines, and community service as alternatives to custodial sentences. Said Matanda-Moyo:
“Only in deserving cases should prosecutors advocate for custodial sentences.”
The memo, addressed to prosecutors across the country, highlights the severe congestion in Zimbabwe’s prisons and draws attention to the large number of inmates who have not been convicted.
Out of the total prison population, 5,970 are unconvicted accused persons. The Prosecutor General said this situation violates constitutional protections. Said Matanda Moyo:
“Our law scoffs at pre-trial incarceration… An accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
“Generally, it is undesirable for an unconvicted person to be denied his or her liberty except in exceptional circumstances.”
She reminded prosecutors that pre-trial detention is not automatic, and stressed that the state must justify why an accused person remains in custody.
The directive instructs prosecutors to urgently review bail conditions, especially for those who are behind bars simply because they cannot afford monetary bail.
Matanda-Moyo also ordered that accused persons facing minor offences should not be kept in custody.
To relieve pressure on overcrowded prisons, prosecutors have been told to use fast-track courts to speed up non-complex cases likely to attract non-custodial sentences.
They have also been directed to ensure that no accused person is detained for more than six months without trial, except in serious cases or under exceptional circumstances.
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