Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]
THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) this week allowed a serving inmate to attend the burial of his mother, a rare but powerful gesture that reflects the institution’s ongoing transition from a purely punitive system to one anchored on rehabilitation, correction and human dignity.
The decision saw Tinashe Fifitini (36), who is serving a nine-year prison term at Mutare Remand Prison for contravening the Wildlife Act and is due for release in 2027, escorted by five ZPCS officers to attend his mother’s burial in Nyamande Village under Chief Saunyama in Nyanga District, Manicaland Province.
In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, ZPCS said the delegation from its Manicaland province accompanied Fifitini throughout the burial proceedings to ensure security and compliance with correctional procedures.
Fifitini’s mother, aged 66, succumbed to a lung infection.
As her coffin was lowered into the grave, Fifitini knelt quietly and whispered a prayer — a moment ZPCS said symbolised the service’s commitment to preserving inmates’ humanity and family bonds even during incarceration.
“I never imagined I would be allowed to pay my last respects to my mother. This has shown me that the ZPCS still perceives me as a human being. I am grateful, and please consider me a changed person,” said Fifitini.
Addressing hundreds of mourners at the burial site, ZPCS rehabilitation officer, Correctional Officer Edwell Mariga, said rehabilitation, from a Pan-African perspective, goes beyond discipline and vocational training.
“Rehabilitation also means preserving family ties and restoring human dignity. Moments like these help offenders reconnect with society, which is essential for successful reintegration,” said CO Mariga.
The compassionate gesture comes barely a month after ZPCS announced the introduction of conjugal rights for selected inmates, marking a significant shift in the country’s correctional philosophy.
The conjugal rights programme was initially rolled out at Marondera Female Open Prison and Connemara Prison, with authorities emphasising that the visits take place at inmates’ homes under controlled conditions, rather than within prison facilities. The initiative forms part of a broader package of reforms aimed at transforming Zimbabwe’s prison system from one centred on punishment to one focused on correction, rehabilitation and reintegration.
Only inmates who demonstrate exemplary behaviour, discipline and adaptability to corrective programmes qualify for such privileges.
ZPCS spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Meya Khanyezi, recently told Zimpapers that the upcoming parole system will further institutionalise these reforms, including the issue of conjugal rights.
“The upcoming parole system will also address conjugal rights for inmates. Many offenders at Marondera Female Open Prison and Connemara Prison have already begun to enjoy these rights while serving their sentences. Conjugal rights will be exercised at the comfort of their homes, not in prisons,” said Asst Comm Khanyezi.
ZPCS Commissioner-General Moses Chihobvu has said the parole system is also expected to ease congestion in the country’s prisons, which currently house over 25 000 inmates.
Beyond decongestion, the parole system is designed to promote positive behavioural change among inmates during incarceration, while reducing the financial burden on the Government.
Parole entails the conditional release of offenders before completion of their prison terms. The new Act provides for the establishment of a State Parole Board and outlines strict eligibility criteria and conditions for early release.
The latest developments underline Zimbabwe’s commitment to aligning its correctional system with modern international standards that prioritise rehabilitation, restorative justice and successful reintegration into society.
