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Zimbabwe has pardoned 3,000 prisoners in an attempt to clear its overcrowded jails - and ease the pressure on the public purse.

The pardon - signed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa - includes all women, apart from those with life sentences, the disabled and under-18s.

The terminally ill and over-60s are also included - if they have served a third of their sentence.

Those who have been on death row for more than a decade will have their sentences commuted to life.

However, according to eNCA.com, anyone who was convicted of murder, treason, rape or any sexual offence, carjacking and armed robbery are excluded from the pardon.

The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, the decision will ease overcrowding in the country's jails, bringing the population down to about 17,000.

The decision comes as the country tries to rebuild following years of economic difficulty, which has seen it struggle to feed, clothe and provide healthcare for its prisoners.