Harare — THE country's prisons have been the hardest hit by the current economic challenges resulting in malnutrition, disease outbreaks and the shortage of essentials like uniforms for inmates, Parliament heard last week.

Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Senator Patrick Chinamasa told Parliament on Wednesday that prisons were failing to meet statutory dietary requirements.

He, however, said Government was working flat out to address the challenges.

"The economic hardships are hitting hardest inside prisons. There are no uniforms. Food requirements are not being met. We are required to meet a statutory diet but it is not being complied with," Sen Chinamasa said.

"Rations for prisoners are not supplied due to inadequate funding. We have recorded malnutrition cases."

Sen Chinamasa said cholera cases had been recorded at the Harare Remand, Harare Central, Beitbridge and Masvingo prisons.

Sen Chinamasa said the Zimbabwe Prison Services had qualified health personnel to handle disease outbreaks.

"We are working on a feeding scheme. ZPS seeks to mobilise material to increase farm produce (at its farms) for nutritional support to inmates. Malnutrition is a challenge to most of our prisons," he said.

Sen Chinamasa said he had since notified the Ministry of Finance about these challenges while efforts were being made to engage co-operating partners.

He was responding to a question by Chipinge East legislator Mathias Mlambo on what his ministry was doing about prisoners "who were dying of hunger and cholera in Chipinge Prison".

Sen Chinamasa described the so-called cholera outbreak at Chipinge Prison as dysentery.

Responding to a suggestion by Kambuzuma legislator Willas Madzimure on the granting of amnesty to prisoners, Sen Chinamasa said at present the country's prison population was at its lowest.

"As I speak, the prison population is at its lowest -- 14 000. We have never been that low."

Sen Chinamasa said he found it difficult to recommend amnesty to hardcore criminals like rapists.

In June last year, Sen Chinamasa proposed that Government grant amnesty to some categories of prisoners to create space for those convicted for political violence.