A South African court recently sentenced three Zimbabweans to extraordinarily lengthy prison terms for cheating tax authorities.
Money laundering, fraud, and other misdeeds were among their crimes. The practicality and meaning of such long periods have been called into question by the sentences, which range in duration from thousands of years to 168 years.
Edward Shoniwa, Mavudzi Maxwell Ndlovu, and Jeremiah Nyasha Musiwacho Dube were among a larger group found guilty on multiple counts. Even with these modifications, the sentences are essentially life terms for two of them because the court used concurrent sentencing and suspensions.
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A warrant was issued for the arrest of one group member who ran away before he was sentenced. The goal and efficacy of such lengthy sentences are disputed by legal professionals and social observers.
Some contend they act as symbolic actions meant to emphasise the seriousness of the offenses and guarantee the criminals spend a significant amount of time behind bars. Some believe they are unworkable and would rather have life sentences.
The main point of contention is whether these punishments are essentially symbolic acts of justice or if they are intended to ensure that the offenders spend the rest of their lives behind bars.
