Anju Farm not just a rehabilitation centre

Anju Prison Farm inmate Raymond Chipunza (51), a former teacher, serving a two-year jail term for indecent assault is now learning a new skill – farming.

Inmates at Anju Prison Farm are rehabilitated in many different ways, including teaching them farming skills.

The skills inculcate a relentless work ethic, build self-reliance, and imbue them with a life skill that they can use upon release so that they can avoid resorting to crime for survival.

Inmates at the farm also use the skills passed to them by officers from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) to grow food which feeds inmates in Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South provinces.

Excess produce is delivered to the markets in Bulawayo to raise resources for more production.

The high production rate at the farm is helping relieve pressure from treasury as the inmates are able to produce their own food with Government only supporting other areas of need.

Last Friday, local farmers, seed houses and senior ZPCS officers from Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North converged at Anju Prison Farm during a field day to witness the success story of inmates producing food for food security at prisons and beyond.

“I have learnt quite a lot because I thought that food came from shops and markets but now I know that food is grown, food comes from the soil. I have also learned that even with a small portion of land one can produce amazing crops. The little land that we have in our homes and areas can produce something for our families and community. Being at Anju Farm I have learnt a lot about growing various crops because there is a lot that we produce here,” said Chipunza.

“The lessons have been very wholesome because we start from the nursery where we prepare the seed and go to planting and watching it grow until harvesting. We are part of the whole process as inmates. We also know how to handle herbicides and spraying so that we produce a better crop. The lessons are very empowering and uplifting such that when we get out of here, we know that there is something in the soil.”

The inmates are preparing to harvest 120 tonnes of maize from 31 hectares planted this farming season.

Other crops at the farm include beans, cabbage, vegetables, tomatoes, carrots and sunflower which is processed to produce cooking oil for inmates.

The inmates are also preparing to plant a massive 50 000 cabbages as the plant is currently at the nursery.
Besides crops the inmates are also into livestock production with the farm.

The officer in-charge of Anju Farm Prison, Chief Correctional Officer Casper Nhende said the prison plays a crucial role in providing not only food security to the inmates but vital lessons.

“This farm reduces the budget on the fiscus as we are self-sustaining, we grow our own food to feed our inmates. We have reduced Government support as a result because we are producing our own food. Inmates are gaining from various projects that we do here especially from horticulture and commercial and from preparing the land up to nurseries until we go to the market.

“We also have 24 cattle, 43 pigs, 52 goats, 19 turkeys, chickens and three fish ponds. We sell the surplus to the market in Bulawayo so that we can raise money to go back to the field,” he said.

ZPCS Matabeleland North provisional farm manager, Principal Correctional Officer James Musutu said the field day was crucial as it helped in exchange of knowledge.

He said the farm has the potential to increase production if more boreholes are drilled to support irrigation.

“One of the major challenges we face here is inadequate irrigation infrastructure and water supply as this farm should be irrigated completely. As of now we are managing to irrigate 40 hectares with the remainder being earmarked for centre pivot irrigation according to the plans we have.

“This farm is a major farm in the province as we do not produce for the province only but we supply Bulawayo and Matabeleland South. What we teach to our inmates is what will make them earn a living outside, it is not random teaching. We identify each inmate’s interests and pursue it so that whatever we will be teaching them it will be in-line with their interests,” he said.

Umguza District Agritex officer Mr Thulani Ndlovu said lack of boreholes has seen the prison farm missing out on winter wheat production.

He appealed to authorities to address the challenge as a matter of agency.

“Anju Farm Prison has not been participating in winter wheat production for three to four years and I appeal to the officer commanding the province (Commissioner Netsai Hlabano) to assist us by having the required boreholes sunk so that we can have the farm under winter wheat.

“As we wind up the summer cropping season let us be mindful of safe keeping of the hard end harvest so that we minimise post-harvest loses. Some of the crops are attacked by weevils while still in the fields. Management of the harvest start from when the maize dries up at the fields until it is brought out for safe keeping at our silos,” he said. -@themkhust