Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) rehabilitation system is a model that other countries in the region are eager to adopt, Commissioner-General Moses Chihobvu said during a tour of Hwange Prison on Saturday.
He was accompanied by his Mozambique counterpart Brigadier António Augusto Maurice, director-general of the National Penitentiary Service, who was on a visit to Zimbabwe to learn how the local jail system can be replicated in his country.
A delegation from Botswana was in the country last week on a similar mission.
This comes as the country launched the Open Prison facility last year, becoming the first such facility in Sadc where mothers are afforded an opportunity to interact with their children.
Commissioner-General Chihobvu said other countries are attracted by what ZPCS is doing.
“Whenever you do something other people see. Last week we had Botswana and this week we have a delegation from Mozambique. They are praising ZPCS for what it is doing in terms of rehabilitation of offenders.
“Our rehabilitation is above board and we have also noted that prisoners being rehabilitated are gaining a lot from what the organisation is offering. This could be one of the reasons why people are coming to see what we are doing.
The prison for females and males is something new in Southern Africa and I think it’s one of the best in Africa as a whole and we have to thank the First Lady, especially for championing the open prison for female inmates,” said Commissioner-General Chihobvu.
First Lady Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa is the patron of the Zimbabwe Female Open Prison Trust.
Commissioner-General Chihobvu said the ZPCS Bill, which is being worked on, will go a long way in improving management of prisons.
“Yes, prisons are overcrowded but we are trying and Government is assisting us. We have to build new prisons and this is why we came up with the idea of having an open prison for inmates. Now that our Bill is likely to be out soon, it is going to give us an opportunity to decongest the prisons,” he said.
ZPCS has a number of projects that include farming, brick moulding, carpentry, tailoring, motor mechanics and upholstery.
Commissioner-General Chihobvu said there is a vocational training centre in Harare where inmates and prison guards are trained and plans are underway to establish another one in Bulawayo.
Speaking to inmates at the Hwange prison, Commissioner-General Chihobvu said: “We have brought visitors from Mozambique. Zimbabwe and Mozambique are friends and this dates back to the liberation struggle, so we are exchanging notes on rehabilitation of offenders and we are happy that you look healthy and strong.”
Brigadier Maurice was impressed by projects being undertaken by inmates as part of the rehabilitation programme.
“We are here to see how ZPCS functions and we are learning a lot. We will also use this knowledge to improve our system back home,” he said, speaking through an interpreter.
The two countries are seeking to work together to strengthen bilateral relations.
Brigadier Maurice visited Harare Central, Marondera Open Prison, Khami Prison Complex and Hwange prison.
The delegation was welcomed in style by inmates and prison officers, who showcased traditional amakishi and ngoma buntibe music and dance. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter