Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]
THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) has been commended for transforming correctional institutions from centres of incarceration into hubs of rehabilitation, innovation, skills development and economic empowerment, with the reforms now contributing to national development and community transformation.
Officially opening the Sixth Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) International Research Conference last week, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology
Development Deputy Minister Simelisizwe Sibanda said the transformation taking place within Zimbabwe’s correctional institutions aligns with the country’s development agenda anchored on innovation, industrialisation and human capital development.
Held under the theme, “The Technology-Enterprise Nexus: Partnering for Innovation, Rural Industrialisation and Community Impact,” the conference coincided with CUT’s Silver Jubilee celebrations marking 25 years of academic excellence, research, innovation and national service.
Deputy Minister Sibanda said he was encouraged by the progress made by ZPCS in repositioning correctional facilities as centres of learning, rehabilitation and productivity.
“I am pleased that prisons in Zimbabwe are no longer known merely as places of confinement but as institutions that are transforming lives and contributing to national development,” he said.
Deputy Minister Sibanda challenged research institutions to move beyond producing academic publications and instead focus on generating practical solutions that improve livelihoods and stimulate economic growth.
“Research institutions must no longer be judged solely by the number of academic publications they produce. Rather, they must increasingly be measured by the solutions they generate, the industries they create, the communities they transform and the livelihoods they improve,” he said.
Deputy Minister Sibanda added that universities have a critical role in driving national development through innovation, technology transfer and meaningful community engagement.
Speaking at the same event, ZPCS Commissioner-General Moses Chihobvu, who was represented by Commissioner Sikhulekile Ndlovu, said education remains one of the most important investments any nation can make in its future.
“Through institutions such as Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe continues to produce knowledge, skills and innovations that contribute directly to socio-economic transformation,” he said.
Comm-Gen Chihobvu said the conference theme resonated strongly with the transformation agenda underway within ZPCS, where correctional institutions have evolved beyond their traditional custodial role to embrace rehabilitation, entrepreneurship, innovation and human capital development.
“Our philosophy is that correction should not simply confine offenders but should transform lives by restoring dignity, developing skills and preparing individuals to become productive citizens,” he said.
Comm-Gen Chihobvu said the ZPCS had expanded rehabilitation programmes that equip inmates with vocational, technical and entrepreneurial skills to enable successful reintegration into society after serving their sentences.
He highlighted the growing partnership between ZPCS and CUT, particularly through the Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Correctional Service Management offered at the ZPCS Staff
College, saying the programme has strengthened professional development within the Service while deepening collaboration between academia and correctional practice.
Comm-Gen Chihobvu said there was considerable scope to broaden co-operation into strategic areas including research and innovation, agriculture, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, prison industries, renewable energy and infrastructure development.
“As institutions committed to national development, we must continue exploring innovative partnerships that generate practical solutions for the benefit of our communities and the nation as a whole,” he said.
The conference also provided ZPCS with an opportunity to showcase innovative rehabilitation initiatives being implemented in correctional facilities across the country.
Under the exhibition theme, “Smart Waste, Smart Waves, Smart Correction: Digital and Green Solutions for Zimbabwe, ZPCS exhibited products and technologies demonstrating how innovation can strengthen rehabilitation while promoting environmental sustainability and economic empowerment.
One of the major attractions was The Bridge FM, a correctional radio station established through a partnership between ZPCS and Corporate Chaplaincy Services.
The station operates from a correctional facility where the gallows once stood, symbolising the Service’s transition from punishment-centred approaches towards rehabilitation and restorative justice.
Delegates also toured exhibition stands displaying products manufactured by inmates using recycled cardboard, plastics, sacks and used tyres, showcasing the creativity, technical expertise and entrepreneurial skills developed through rehabilitation programmes.
The conference brought together academics, researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, development partners and students from Zimbabwe and abroad to explore how technology and enterprise can accelerate innovation, rural industrialisation and sustainable community development.
