Prison officers, inmates get skills

Herald Reporter
SOME Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) officers and inmates at Harare Central prison are receiving training in the manufacture of various detergents under a programme initiated by a private company, Centurian Empire.

The three-day training programme is aimed at equipping officers with skills and knowledge to make detergents, sanitisers, toilet cleaners and car cleaning liquids among others, which they can use to earn extra income.

Inmates are expected to use the knowledge to start income generating projects upon their release.

Depending on the availability of resources, the programme is also expected to ensure that the ZPCS is self-sufficient in the supply of hand sanitisers, which are critical in the fight against Covid-19.

After going through the theoretical part of training, the officers and inmates will be taken through the practical processes with guidance from Centurian staff.

The officer in charge of Harare Central Prison, Chief Superintendent Crashwell Mandave commended Centurian Empire for the initiative.

“This is a very important programme for the organisation, officers and inmates, especially in the rehabilitation process of our inmates. We need to train them in various skills so that when they go out, they will have something to do.

“We hope that at the end of this programme, we will be able to manufacture detergents for ourselves and other prisons across the country,” he said.

Centurian Empire director of projects Mr Martin Kambanja said they were aiming to equip inmates with life skills to assist them earn a living.

“When they go out there, they should be able to live a normal life, which is also profitable. The manufacturing of these products, which are needed in households on a daily basis, is very easy. We do not teach inmates only, we teach officers so that they can have businesses from which they can earn extra income.”

One of the inmates attending the training, Robson Chipirangi, thanked Centurian Empire for the initiative and implored authorities to avail raw materials for the manufacturing of the detergents.

“This programme is useful to us as inmates. After our release, we will be able to earn a living. We hope this programme will be extended to all inmates,” said Chipirangi.