Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
FAMILY week at Gwanda Prison has provided inmates with precious moments of reconnection, particularly with their children, fostering vital bonds. For Thulani Mlilo (25), jailed for six months, seeing his now 11-month-old daughter, whom he last saw as a five-month-old baby, brought immense joy.
He also received visits from his wife, their four-year-old daughter, and other family members. Mlilo, serving a reduced 16-month sentence and due for release next March, cherished these family reunions.
“It’s never easy to be here knowing that I have left my wife and children behind. I always wonder how they are faring and if my children still remember me. It really warmed my heart and brought me joy to have my family come here and spend the day with me, especially my children.
“I was able to play with them and hold them, and they really enjoyed interacting with me. It gives us hope when we see people coming to visit us here in prison. Being able to hold our children like this shows that we are viewed as people and not animals or convicts. We are grateful for this family week,” he said.
For Mitchel Dube (23), held on remand for murder, the family week offered a poignant opportunity to connect with his young children, aged eight months and three years. Arrested five months prior, when his youngest was just three months old, Dube said that he doesn’t take these visits for granted, uncertain of his time in custody. He cherished the chance to catch up and share a meal with his family during this brief respite.
“It’s so refreshing and therapeutic to be in an environment that has children, which is a shift from the usual environment of us as inmates only. It’s also refreshing to see many people come and go; I feel like we are still part of the outside world. I’m grateful for this programme which has enabled me to see my children, and I’m looking forward to the next event in case I will still be here,” he said.
His wife, Rejoice Moyo, expressed her delight in visiting her husband with their children, describing how they used the time to discuss family matters, which brought her considerable relief.
This family week, organised by the Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services (ZPCS) from Sunday to Sunday, allows families to visit incarcerated relatives with children also welcome. The initiative aims to foster positive relationships and strengthen bonds between inmates and their families.
Superintendent Ishmael Madzimbamuto, the officer in charge of Gwanda Prison, reported a positive start to the week, with approximately 100 visitors received daily, indicating a strong community response to the opportunity to connect with their loved ones in prison.
“The family week is crucial to our rehabilitative process, and it’s also important for the inmates and their families. It helps us as an organisation to pave the way for the reintegration of inmates into the community once they have been released. This exercise gives inmates a chance to talk to their relatives in order to find closure and seek forgiveness for their wrongdoing. Having their families visit them is also important for the mental state of prisoners.
“They are able to spend time with their families and, in some cases, discuss critical issues and be involved in decision-making processes. This helps the inmates to have a sense of belonging, and once they are released, they will look forward to going back home, where they are needed and valued. We used different platforms to notify the public about this event, and it seems that the message really spread well. I’m sure that by the last day of the family week, almost all the inmates will have received visitors,” he said. — @DubeMatutu
