Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) Bulawayo Metropolitan Province hosted a two-day Commissioner General’s Behind The Wall Chess Tournament at Khami Maximum Prison last weekend.
The tournament brought together inmates, officers from across the country and members of the community who not only sought to promote competition, but to transform lives through chess.
Giving his keynote address, the ZPCS Commissioner-General Moses Chihobvu said making the right choice in life is paramount and noted that rehabilitation starts in the mind.
He said that the organisation is in the process of transformation which should see rehabilitation as a tool that prohibits repeat offending.
“The most important thing in life is choice. It is up to you to be rehabilitated before you return to the community. Make the right choices or you will find yourselves back in prison.
“Rehabilitation starts in the mind. However, If we see inmates coming back to prison it means we are not doing enough,” he said.
Commissioner-General Chihobvu said chess instills discipline, forward thinking, self-control and also builds resilience. He further described the tournament as an initiative that supports the national vision of living no one and no place behind by ensuring that inmates participate.
“We have moved away from a punitive system to rehabilitation and through chess we are already achieving that. Chess helps inmates to have patience, discipline, forward thinking, self-control and build resilience,” Chihobvu.
He also took the opportunity to strongly discourage the participants from drug and substance abuse.
“As we celebrate the positive impact of chess, l encourage all participants to desist from drug and substance abuse,” he said.
He concluded by encouraging the recruitment of females in chess before celebrating players who have represented the Prison Services at continental and intercontinental competitions.
Zimbabwe Chess Federation president, Todd Mapingire, thanked the Commissioner-General for allowing the federation to engage inmates through chess.
“This initiative was launched some years ago and since then many organisations have been asking how we managed it,” Mapingire said.
He added: “But let me say this initiative was made possible by the Commissioner-General. We now urge the girl child to participate in chess tournaments. Let us not start playing chess only ‘behind the walls’ let us adopt it as a game we play at home.
“When we started, we had no sponsors. But as we progressed, sponsors like Minerva came on board and we have never looked back.”
Mapingire also thanked His Excellency President Mnangagwa for considering chess as an elementary syllabus that should be taught in schools given its ability to teach discipline and forward thinking.
“Chess will be part of our children’s curriculum and we hope it will bring long-lasting benefits. I admit that there is a shortage of chess coaches but I promise all provinces that they will have one each, starting with Bulawayo Metropolitan,” he said.
In his welcome remarks, the Officer Commanding of Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Commissioner Mkhulunyelwa Ngwenya said: “Today’s gathering is another milestone in our rehabilitation and reintegration endeavours. We would like to applaud the Commissioner-General for his vision and commitment to this transformational agenda. Chess teaches us that every move has consequences and every game offers opportunities for recovery and success.”
“I came to prison after being convicted of murder and it was not easy because of stress,” Damota said.
