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Freeman Razemba Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) on content partnership aimed at ensuring a more coordinated approach to the ZPCS’ offender rehabilitation and reintegration activities.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the MoU sought to ensure and enhance ZPCS’ visibility in a manner that will promote and make the work of the organisation known to the general public.
“I am informed that the MoU will improve organisational image of the ZPCS by coming up with programmes aimed at educating, reconciling and deterring our fellow countrymen from engaging in criminal activities.
“Thus, the ZPCS and ZBC will form a team which will start working on the concepts in preparation of the new programmes. When this relationship is well embraced it will go a long way in improving the ZPCS media relations,” he said.
“As you might be aware that observance of human rights in any country is judged by the way it treats its offenders. We therefore seek to correct the negative image through ZBC’s assistance by coming up with programmes aimed at educating, reconciling and deterring our fellow countrymen from engaging in criminal activities.”
Minister Ziyambi said the MoU serves to exploit the content and the potential to produce different programmes that will bring partnership between ZBC and ZPCS where the former provides technical personnel, marketing and airs the programme while the latter scouts for inmates to be interviewed and prospective sponsors.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said they were impressed that the national broadcaster and ZPCS were taking a direction that feeds into the ministry’s policy on behalf of Government.
“I must say that we are impressed by the direction that our national broadcaster and ZPCS are taking as they feed into our policy and complement our national mandate. As a ministry, it is encouraging to learn that all our efforts are being complemented in such a great way through initiatives, such as this one today.
“As you are aware my ministry is tasked with seeing the digitalisation project. As we face challenges towards its completion, it is not going to stop us from opening the airwaves. This is going to happen and that process is already underway,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa said ZBC has to be ready to compete in what is promising to be a highly competitive broadcasting sector.
She said the core thrust was to tell the Zimbabwean story as it was unique in that could not be demarcated when it comes to its source of origin, breadth of its reach and the resultant impact.
“Thus even correctional facilities are embodiments of the untold Zimbabwean story. The mistakes, the pitfalls, the realisation moments and lessons learnt within the confinements of the correctional facilities are a rare edutainment nugget which does not only educate, but also entertain.
“It is important that we are inclusive and non-discriminating in the New Zimbabwe we are building. I am particularly pleased that this initiative also serves as an opportunity for hope, life and a sense of peace amongst our inmates,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.
Commissioner-General Major-General Paradzai Zimondi (Retired) said the ZPCS has scaled up offender rehabilitation by introducing various programmes and activities.
He said in view of yesterday’s event, they continuously appeal to the able, ready and willing partners to also come on board and play a part in making a difference on the lives of those incarcerated.
The event was attended by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services secretary Mr Nick Mangwana and ZBC chief executive Mr Patrick Mavhura, among other senior officials.
Online Reporter