Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Mutare Bureau
FAMILIES across Manicaland are reconnecting with jailed loved ones as the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) rolls out its annual Family Week, a programme that has brought profound emotion, relief and renewed hope alike to inmates and visitors.
In an interview, Officer-in-Charge of Mutare Remand Prison, Superintendent Wallace Tafadzwa Mbanje described the week as one of the most important on the ZPCS calendar.
He stressed the significance of creating space for inmates to maintain meaningful bonds with the outside world.
“We are receiving quite a number of visitors, and this is their opportunity to come and see their relatives who are incarcerated. We are allowing up to ten visitors per inmate per visit, from 9am to 3pm, beginning Monday to December 14.
“The turnout has been overwhelming. Most visitors are bringing food, and as a prison, we are also taking the chance to generate income through selling some goodies,” he said.
Superintendent Mbanje explained that the programme is essential for preparing inmates for life after release.
“The main objective is engagement. Reintegration begins during incarceration, not at the gate on release day. When inmates know they are still valued at home, it strengthens their resolve to reform,” he said, adding that entertainment activities, church visits, and outreach from other community stakeholders have been lined up for the week, including support for inmates, who do not receive visitors.
At Mutare Remand Prison, where the initiative began on Monday, long queues of relatives formed at the gates as early as dawn.
Many held food parcels and toiletries clothes while others simply clutched the anticipation of seeing someone they had not embraced in months.
For many visitors, the day brought a mix of relief and heartbreak.
Ms Pauline Muyambo, who came from Chikanga to visit her younger brother, described the occasion as a blessing many families never take for granted.
“It is emotional. Seeing him, talking to him, hearing him laugh, it reminds us that prison does not erase a person’s humanity. I want to encourage families out there to visit their relatives. Even if you are angry or disappointed, just being present gives them strength. These visits can change someone’s life,” she said, fighting back tears.
Inside the visiting hall, inmates shared their own reflections on what the week means for them.
Tariro Mapengo, who has been on remand for several months, said the programme restores dignity and a sense of belonging.
“I had a small misunderstanding with my sister and that led me here. When you are inside, you start to think the world has forgotten you but when your mother or child walks through that door, you feel human again. It reminds us that we still have something to live for, something to go back to when this chapter ends,” he said.
Another inmate, Victor Mandiwata Musodza, said Family Week motivates prisoners to stay disciplined.
“These visits push us to behave, to work hard, to focus on rehabilitation. When you sit with your family, you realise your actions affect more than just you. It gives us courage to change.
“Which is why I am urging my family to reconsider and forgive me for whatever I did and they visit me. I pray that they visit me this visiting week,” he said.
