Online Reporter
Paul Pindani in CHINHOYI
A female prison officer at Chinhoyi Prisons Correctional Services has excelled in a profession dominated by male counterparts.
Principal Correctional Officer, Cynthia Bangure leads the Mashonaland West Prison Band as a Band Master.
She has challenged a societal stereotype about gender roles and capabilities.
Her presence helps to change perceptions about what women can achieve in that field.
Bangure can serve as a role model for other women and girls, inspiring others to pursue careers that may have previously seemed unattainable.
H- Metro, caught up with Bangure at the Platinum FM / H-Metro’ s Say No to Drug Abuse Awareness Campaign that was held at Chinhoyi main rank bus terminus on Friday.
“I am the band master of Mash West. Our band was formed in 2023, until today.
“It’s the first prison band in Zimbabwe to be led by a woman.
“I want to thank our commissioner general who gave me the opportunity to lead the band as a woman,” said Bangure.
She added:
“This means the Commissioner general does not undermine women in our workforce
“He is giving us an opportunity for us to lead.
“I have always had a passion for music since my childhood. I love music a lot,” she said.
Bangure said even when she joined the prisons service, she was inspired to work with the music department because she had passion for music.
“Music is something which runs in my blood, and I enjoy it together with my other band members,” said Bangure.
She urged fellow workmates to know that the commissioner general supports woman empowerment.
“I want to encourage those talented to come and join us.
“We are blessed that in our band we have some musicians who have managed to record their music.
“We have three musicians who have recorded their music and we look forward to recording our own music in the near future if we manage to acquire all the instruments,” she said.
Bangure said the band is still in its infancy and they have also incorporated some of the inmates in line with the prisons rehabilitation thrust.
“We have a lot of talented and gifted inmates in prisons.
“Our main thrust is to rehabilitate and giving them a second chance in life so that they can reintegrate back into society,” she said.
Bangure said music is now being recognized and if talented, inmates can achieve something in their lives when they go back to society.
“Right now as a band, we have a challenge of lack of musical instruments.
“I want to humbly appeal to well-wishers out there to help us acquire musical instruments.
“If we have adequate instruments, we will be able to reach out to all the corners of our great province and the nation at large,” said Bangure.
