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Viola Mzungwana
A grim reality about prison is that life is tough behind bars. Ita��s either the going gets tough or you become the tough that gets going.
President Robert Mugabe pardoned 2 000 prisoners under the Presidential Amnesty. It was a sigh of relief for many women who had been holed up for various crimes.
Believe it when you are told that a womena��s prison is horrifying more than it looks on TV.
31-year-old Perfect Mpofu, serving six years for theft walked out of Khami Prisona��s Mlondolozi when she was three years into her sentence. She told B-Metro about survival tactics inside the slammer.
a�?An enemy of a friend automatically becomes my enemy because we look out for one another in prison. Trivial things like gossip give birth to grudges and that ultimately causes divisions among prisoners. But any form of violence is usually dealt with by prison wardens,a�? said Mpofu.
The prison has its own economy like the outside world. The richer you are the better you live.
a�?It was easier when onea��s visitors brought extra groceries. That way you could employ someone to do your laundry then pay them with something like a packet of noodles or soap,a�? she said.
Her biggest challenge was thinking of the outside world.
a�?I worried about my children out there,A� not knowing what they ate hurt me,a�? she said.
Visits at Mlondolozi were once every fortnight.
a�?We were allowed to see our families once every two weeks. It didna��t even last for more than 10 minutes,a�? she added.
Once inside, basically your personal hygiene as a woman is not entirely up to you.
a�?If you are fortunate your family brings you toiletries every now and then, but generally they are provided,a�? she explained.
Another woman who was saved from jail is 41-year-old Monica Muzvidziwa (ABOVE). They were at the same prison, as such their stories are similar. However, Mazvidziwa said her heart broke because of pregnant female inmates.
a�?There were those who get arrested when pregnant. Their childrena��s first months and years will be in prison. That is not a nice place for a newly born baby. Sometimes the napkins would not be enough,a�? she said.
Starting a new life out of prison is hard. Most of the women lose their husbands and worse, accommodation.
a�?There are a few women I know who chose to break the law all over again so they go back to prison. They planned it because they know they have a place to stay in prison,a�? said Mpofu.
These two women (Mpofu and Muzvidziwa) recently decided to join an organisation that was started by a pastor, Biggie Dube, who is also an ex-convict.
Dube of Church of Christ based in Bulawayo accommodates ex-convicts who struggle to get back on their feet after being released.
The Zimbabwe National Organisation for Ex-Convicts started in 2014 and Dube has been looking for funds ever since.
a�?I am looking for funds or at least land so that these ex-cons find something to do. Most of them commit crimes and go back to prison because they think it is their only option. At the moment I can only afford poultry at my backyard,a�? explained Dube. .
Online Reporter