Home Affairs minister, Mathias Chikawe
President
Jakaya Kikwete has pardoned at least 3,967 prisoners and reduced every
sentence by at least one over sixth as part of the nation’s
commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the union between Tanganyika
and Zanzibar.This means that a person serving a 30-year jail term will only stay in prison for 25 years.
The president pardoned the prisoners in accordance with the powers vested in him under Article 45 (1) (d) of the Constitution.
A statement issued in Dar es Salaam yesterday by Home Affairs minister Mathias Chikawe said the prisoners’ sentences have been reduce by one sixth of the sentences only for some groups.
The prisoners who will benefit from the amnesty include those serving short-term sentences (less than five years), those who until the day the amnesty was granted will have already served a quarter of their sentences, those infected and affected by HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and patients suffering from terminal cancer.
However, the statement said, the patients must have been cleared by a panel of doctors under the chairmanship of the regional or district medical officers.
Other groups legible for the amnesty are those breastfeeding, expectant mothers, people with physical and mental disabilities and those aged 70 years and above.
But just as is the case with cancer patients, the aged also must have been verified by a panel of doctors under the chairmanship of the regional or district medical officers.
As usual, the amnesty does not cover prisoners serving sentences for abuse of power, trafficking of cocaine, heroin and bhang, armed robbers, those found guilty of possessing government trophies, poachers and those on death penalty.
Others not granted amnesty are prisoners serving life imprisonment, rape and sodomy, car thefts, impregnating schoolgirls, those convicted of attempted to escape from re-correction facilities, any person who once benefited from the Presidential amnesty and those serving sentences under the Parole Board Act 1994 and Community Services Act 2002.
According to the statement the government expects those to be pardoned to rejoin the society and work for the country’s development.
The 50th anniversary of the Union was celebrated with pomp as visiting heads of state, past and current, joined President Jakaya Kikwete and his government on Saturday to commemorate the golden jubilee.
The Union of the two countries was formed following an agreement between the then presidents of Tanganyika, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, and Zanzibar President Sheikh Abeid Amaan Karume.
The occasion was graced with the presence of six leaders from the neighbouring states and several top foreign representatives from various countries and international organisations, each of whom the President introduced with his trademark anecdotes at the end of the ceremony.
The heads of state included His Majesty Letsie III, King of Lesotho and His Majesty Mswati III of Swaziland, Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Pierre Nkurunzinza (Burundi) Joyce Banda (Malawi) and Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya).
Also in attendance were former heads of state Sam Nujoma (Namibia) Rupia Banda (Zambia) and Mwai Kibaki (Kenya).
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
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