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Minister calls for revision of criminal legislation in Mozambique
3:00 CAT | 17 Oct 2025
Screengrab: Ministério da Justiça, Assuntos Constitucionais e Religiosos
The Mozambican Minister of Justice yesterday called for a revision of criminal legislation to make the national prison system more “humane and efficient”, proposing the decriminalisation of minor offences and the use of electronic ankle monitors for minor crimes.
Speaking at the opening of the coordinating council of the Ministry of Justice in Maputo province, Mateus Saize, Mozambique’s Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs, said the measures aim to “strengthen the foundations” of justice, promote social cohesion, and ensure that Mozambique’s development is “inclusive, sustainable and fair”.
“Among the proposed measures are the decriminalisation of minor offences, the use of electronic bracelets for minor crimes, and the expansion of arbitration and mediation mechanisms,” he explained.
Saize noted that a team from the National Penitentiary Service recently visited several European countries to gather experience on adopting electronic ankle bracelets systems.
“Alternative measures to imprisonment, when well implemented, promote more efficient resource management and respond with greater sensitivity to the needs of those already serving sentences,” he added.
For the minister, these practices, combined with guidance from international organisations, point towards a justice system that is “more efficient, humane, and sustainable”.
On 15 August, Mateus Saize had stated that work is underway to implement an electronic bracelet system in the country “in the near future”, in the context of debates over ways to address prison overcrowding.
READ: https://clubofmozambique.com/news/mozambique-house-arrest-bracelets-will-be-introduced-in-the-country-by-december-watch-291008/
Mozambique faces a significant prison overcrowding problem, currently housing around 21,000 inmates in facilities designed for 4,498, according to previous Ministry of Justice data.
Without providing a timeline, the Minister said that the acquisition of the bracelets depended on a public tender and financial resources, while assuring that steps were already being taken to procure the equipment.
The National Penitentiary Service of Mozambique called on 21 July for a focus on alternative sentences, aimed at reducing overcrowding in the country’s prisons.
On 28 July, Mozambican president Daniel Chapo called for a prison system focused on rehabilitation rather than solely “punitive action,” acknowledging “structural constraints” due to overcrowding.
On 11 July, the Vice-President of the Mozambican Supreme Court, Matilde Almeida, admitted difficulties in applying “alternative sentences” due to escapes, while warning about overcrowding in prisons.
Mozambique currently has nearly 160 prison facilities, including regional, provincial, and district establishments.
In July 2023, the Mozambican government announced plans to construct at least ten new district-level prisons across the country.
Source: Lusa
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