By A Correspondent- Tatenda Govere, 31, was shocked to see Harare streets clean as he walked from Harare Central Prison to find transport to Glen Norah last Thursday when he was released after serving four years for stealing from his brother.

One of the released inmates who benefited from the Presidential Amnesty, Govere said while prisons are still safe from coronavirus, should the disease find its way there, no- one would survive.

“Harare is totally new following the lockdown and I was shocked to find clean streets and few security guards as I walked from the prison into town,” said Govere.

“I learnt about coronavirus while in prison since we were allowed to view television programmes as well as current news.

“I want to believe that COVID-19 is still to find its way at Harare Central prison and if it happen to find a gap no one will survive due to conditions that do not allow us to distance self from the other inmate.

“Although I leave the cells free from coronavirus, I regret time I lost while serving jail sentence after I stole my brother’s money by engaging my friends to access his property.

“I stole from the hand that was feeding me and he is the same person who visited me while in prison and is the one who gave me money for transport after he learnt of my release.

“He accepted my forgiveness as well as his wife and this left me facing real facts of life and I repented.

“Prison life is bad and it’s like being buried alive that it is my prayer not to return to prison over committing crime but helping inmates,” said Govere. Govere was convicted of theft in 2015 and sentenced to eight years. He thanked His Excellency President Mnangagwa for the pardon.-StateMedia