Behind the walls of Mlondolozi Prison

Yoliswa Dube
THE most distinct sensation one feels as soon as they are behind the walls of Mlondolozi Female Prison housed at Khami Prison Complex on the outskirts of Bulawayo, is the chilling coldness. Once the huge doors are unlocked at the knock of a prison officer, the feeling is almost instant – icy and resembling a cold room.

Like any security area, identification documents are requested for; one surrenders their car keys or any electronic gadget and one is not allowed to talk to a prisoner in the absence of a prison officer.

It is a prison after all, a building where people are kept as punishment for a crime or while they are waiting to go to court, a place from which one cannot escape.

Suddenly, yellow, grey, green, khaki, white and red begin to resemble something different. These are colours for prison garb differentiating those who have been convicted from those on remand or detained mental patients.

Females on remand wear green while the men in the same category are clothed in khaki; convicted females are dressed in yellow while the males wear white whereas detained mental patients are clad in grey, both male and female.

Chronicle spoke to some female prisoners during a recent visit to the correctional facility, which also has a merger with Ingutsheni Central Hospital to house mental patients that the hospital can longer contain due to various reasons such as violent behaviour.

“Ngani ngiphandle ngani sengafa (I’d be dead by now if I hadn’t been imprisoned),” said Nomsa Mhlanga, 31.
Mhlanga was convicted for assault.

“I stayed with a friend and we had a fight after she accused me of having an affair with her boyfriend. She was badly hurt and reported the incident to the police after which I was arrested,” narrated Mhlanga.

She believes if she had not been sent to prison, she could have been dead by now.
“I used to live a very rowdy life. I’d always be drunk and would always be involved in fights,” said Mhlanga as she bit on her finger nails and avoided eye contact.

The mother of a seven-year-old boy said she was grateful the law took its course as she has had time to reflect on her life.
Aside from sitting around doing nothing, she helps with the dishes and mental patients from time to time.

“My son stays with his grandmother and he doesn’t know my whereabouts neither does my husband’s relatives. I’m due to be released on July 29, after which l’ll go back to my lodgings in Mahatshula,” she said.

On being asked what her next move would be after she is released from prison, Mhlanga said: “I’m able to braid hair. That will be my starting point. I hope l’ll be able to earn a decent living and lead an honest life.”

The prison has a number of “yards” which are surrounded by cells in which the inmates live as well as bathrooms. The toilet is located within the cell.

The communal cells are shared by five inmates, who sleep on a concrete floor with only a mat and a couple of blankets to go by.
Cages and bars and more padlocks are a common feature of their daily lives.

Inmates are like underlings to the prison officers. Upon inquiry why an inmate had to kneel when talking to a standing prison officer, the news crew was told it was a sign of respect. The simple act of sharing a bench with the news crew in the presence of a prison officer seemed like a mammoth task for these prisoners. They would have rather knelt or sat on the bare ground.

“I stole clothes and was sentenced to a year in prison. This is no place for a woman. A woman should be in the home, working and taking care of the family. If I could change the hands of time, I would,” said Fortunate Mudende, 20, from Hwange.

The young woman vowed to make distinct changes in her life as soon as she is released from prison saying it had taken its toll on her.
“I dropped out of school when I was in Form Three because l’d fallen pregnant. As soon as I’m free, I’m going back to school and will start making a life for myself,” said Mudende.

She said she missed her daughter Sithabile and needed to make amends with her parents whom she had gravely disappointed.
“We’re allowed to make phone calls but I’ve never asked to make one because I’m afraid. Being imprisoned has ruined my life. It has tarnished my image. When I go back home, everyone will label me as the girl who was once in prison. I wake up every day with the hope of a bright future though,” said Mudende.

After receiving Presidential amnesty not so long ago, Samantha Mpofu, 20, was back to the dungeon for the same crime — theft.
For her first conviction, Mpofu had stolen seven airtime recharge cards and $2. This time around, she was jailed for stealing $12 and will be in prison until July 19, 2015.

She showed no remorse or sting neither did she express any ambition. Mpofu is simply taking each day as it comes and will follow any path that will open in her way come 2015 when she is released from prison.

Nursing inmates stay with their babies in prison. They are given baby clothes, blankets and anything else the baby may need by the Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Service (ZPCS).

A handshake with an inmate seems very normal because they are normal people who just took a couple of wrong turns in their lives.
After another trio of locks and keys was the wing for detained mental patients. At face value, it was not very apparent that some of these inmates were mental patients, except for their grey prison garb.

Some were dressed in clean and neatly ironed apparel, minding their business. Others were seen to be “drawing” or “writing”, tucked away in some corner while others were constantly jogging and running around the yard.

ZPCS acting public relations officer for Matabeleland region Senior Prison Officer Garainashe Moyo said detained mental patients were given medication by their doctors and stayed in prison for as long as they needed.

“Most of these people would not have committed any crime but they come from Ingutsheni Central Hospital after the institution has failed to contain them especially if they’re violent. Some of them would have committed crimes but can’t be convicted due to their mental conditions,” said SPO Moyo.

He said after some time of taking medication consistently, detained mental patients were assessed by a board to determine whether or not they would be able to live in the outside world without harming others.

The prison infrastructure is in desperate need of rehabilitation. It is an old building which is slowly falling apart and requires attention as a matter of urgency.

SPO Moyo concurred the institution needed funding for a variety of things but the government did not have the money at the moment.
At the time of the visit, there were 263 inmates, a number which constantly fluctuates. There were 222 male inmates and 41 female inmates.