Small groups of convicted political prisoners continue to be released before the expiry of their sentences under the terms of the regime's "amnesty" programme. This is in fact a misnomer. It is apparent from reliable information reaching the IDAF that in at least some cases, those released are not pardoned but are issued with a card by the Rhodesia Prison Service, stating that their release is conditional on their not committing any further offence. In the event of their being convicted on any grounds they will be required to serve the balance of their Law and Order (Maintenance) Act sentence in addition to any new sentence imposed. In other words the release programme amounts only to a form of parole.
Despite these releases, it is believed that the overall number of convicted political prisoners currently serving sentences continues to increase as a result of the activities of the special courts martial.
At the beginning of October the UANC central committee was reported to have called on the regime to reveal details of "the hundreds of political prisoners and detainees released since July under the amnesty programme". The UANC publicity and information secretary stated that this would "counter the propaganda from hostile sources who claimed that the Muzorewa Government was an oppressive one" (BBC 3.10.79). In general, however, the releases have been carried out in a discreet manner, without any publicity.
