Chronicle Editor
Kudzai Chikiwa, Chronicle Reporter
INMATES who graduated after studying an International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) course yesterday commended the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) for introducing the course.
They said the ZPCS gave them a chance to attain knowledge in ICTs which they would use upon release.
Seventeen inmates at the Bulawayo Prison graduated with an ICDL certificate after free training by Simphiwe Development Trust, in affiliation with the National University of Science and Technology (Nust).
This is the first time inmates were trained in ICTs, a move that was adopted after President Mnangagwa encouraged institutions to embrace technology to achieve the 2030 vision of becoming a middle income economy.
In separate interviews, graduands said they were happy that they are now competitive in the economic transformation agenda as computers are fast becoming a transformation agent in all walks of life across the globe.
The best graduating student, Amos Ncube (20) who was sentenced to two years for unlawful entry and theft said it has been his ambition to learn computers and his vision got fulfilled while in prison.
“Today I stand proud as a graduate, it may not be from a university as most people would want it to be but to me it’s a dream that has come true. The world is gradually changing to a technologically driven society hence to have a course in ICTs is an achievement worth cherishing,” he said.
Ncube who is finishing his prison term next month said he wants to study Computer Aided Art and Graphics.
Another inmate, David Ndlovu (57), said he is a script writer and since he has acquired basic computer skills including using Microsoft word, he is going to be typing his ideas on a computer rather than writing on pieces of paper as he used to do.
“When you are not computer literate, you make your own life hard as you do everything manually. Now it will be easy for me to type a document of my script and I proof-read it there. It’s now different from using pen and paper and having to correct word for word,” he said.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, ZPCS Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Advisory Board member Dr Lucky Mlilo said imparting computer skills to inmates is vital as it makes them fit in the vast technological growing economy where ICTs are slowly becoming a prerequisite in industrialisation and development.
“Computers are the biggest invention of the 21st century and are slowly becoming a prerequisite in day to day running of a country. On the production side of the economy, digital transformation enables the automation of business operations yielding operational efficiencies such as reduction of operational costs with an impact on productivity,” he said.
Dr Mlilo said his council will provide more computers to make sure that at least every learner has a computer to do practicals on.
“I am reliably informed that the 17 of you shared only 10 desktops which disabled your speed in operations. As an advisory board we feel challenged, we will try and assist with the acquisition of new computers,” he said.
Simphiwe Development Trust programme director Mr Leeman Dube said the training was a pilot project meant to complement Government’s efforts to embrace ICTs and technology.
He said it would soon be extended to all prisons including female prisons.
Mr Dube said he started with 25 inmates but eight dropped out due to several reasons.
“Some said the course was too challenging since they just went as far as grade 7. They could not master the basics in computing so they quit. Otherwise the rest did well, the highest got 82 percent. Some did not score high marks because they could not finish the exams because of speed,” he said. – @tamary98
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