Calls to turn SADC prisons into centres of reform, hope

Moses Magadza in JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

THE Chairperson of the Human and Social Development and Special Programmes Committee of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), Mope Khati, has urged Members of Parliament to help in transforming the region’s prison systems through the development of a progressive Model Law on Prison Oversight.

Speaking during the official opening of the Standing Committee’s statutory meeting in Johannesburg, Mr Khati paid tribute to the late Clerk of the National Assembly of Zambia, Mr Roy Ngulube.

“His impact on parliamentarism was profound, his shoes too big to fill and the void he has left behind will be felt for a time to come,” he said.

Mr Khati called on delegates to reflect on their legacy.

“What have you done for your community such that they will look back and hold on to when you are gone?” he said.

Mr Khati stressed the significance of the SADC PF’s efforts to develop a Model Law on Prison Oversight. He described the initiative as “a call to action to effectively discharge our oversight mandate with the primary objective of safeguarding the rights of all people, including those incarcerated for various crimes.”

Mr Khati painted a stark picture of the current state of prisons in the region and noted that the SADC prison population now stands at nearly 400 000, with South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounting for more than half.

Of concern was that nearly 50 percent of the incarcerated population in countries such as Namibia, Tanzania, and the DRC are awaiting trial.

“This punitive approach, rooted in retribution rather than rehabilitation, has perpetuated cycles of violence and social exclusion,” Mr Khati said.

“Prisons should be places of transformation . . . where individuals are given the tools; education, mental health support, vocational training, and dignity, to reintegrate into society as productive citizens.”

He argued that the envisaged Model Law must go beyond punitive measures and champion inclusive reform.

“When nearly half of a prison population has not even been tried, reform becomes synonymous with justice itself and that reform, starts, in principle, with the Model Law.”

Mr Khati also stressed that the development process must be consultative and rooted in citizen participation, aligning with the SADC PF’s policy on inclusive lawmaking.

“Parliamentarians and citizens alike must work hand-in-hand to shape a legal framework that reflects our shared values and aspirations,” he said.

The Chairperson also reminded the Committee of its core responsibilities, including addressing health in prisons, access to education, and the prevention of communicable diseases.

“Good prison health is good community health,” he said.

Citing Pope Francis, Mr Khati said: “‘A just and necessary punishment must never exclude hope and rehabilitation’. Justice without hope is not justice at all. It is purely vengeance disguised as law.”