adminVusumuzi Dube Sunday News Reporter
THE private sector has been called upon to assist in the rehabilitation of prisoners by the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services by engaging in viable Public Private Partnerships, a Cabinet Minister has said. In a speech read on his behalf by Mr Nhlanhla Ndiweni, the son to the late Chief Khayisa Ndiweni, during a fundraising dinner held at a Bulawayo hotel on Friday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Obert Mpofu said due to economic challenges, Government could not adequately satisfy all needs of prisons, hence the need for these partnerships.
The fundraising dinner was meant to raise funds for the recapitalisation and capacitation of Anju Farm Prison, which is located in Nyamandlovu, 55 kilometres along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road.
The minister said prisons were a unique institute as they were endowed with both sufficiently skilled and semi-skilled personnel.
“ZPCS is a Government department that is entitled to receive funding from the fiscus in all its operations that include food, clothes, accommodation, blankets and transport among others. However, due to current economic challenges, Government cannot adequately provide enough to satisfy all these needs.
“It is therefore imperative to be innovative and develop strategies that are directed towards self-sustenance through the engagement of Public Private Partnerships as is called for by our economic blue print, Zim Asset,” said Dr Mpofu.
He said for successful rehabilitation to be achieved in any prison environment it had to be habitable hence the need to provide them with adequate support.
“We are now living in an era where initiatives take centre stage in activities that bring in profits in the shortest possible period of time, this becomes imperative since it ensures the availability of food and other essentials of life even in the adverse economic conditions.
“My message therefore is that rehabilitation of inmates requires community involvement. I appeal for your support in the recapitalisation of Anju Farm prison. This initiative is in line with the Zim Asset blueprint on food security. If fully capitalised, the prison farm has the potential to produce cash crops whose proceeds can be used to fund other income generating projects for the smooth running of prison stations,” said the Minister.
He paid tribute to the ZPCS Matabeleland region advisory board and the prison authorities for working hard in coming up with various strategies aimed at assisting prisons in the region.
Online Reporter