THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) scooped The Masvingo
Show first prize under the Uniformed Forces Category where its agricultural garden
impressed both the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural
Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, and the judges’ panel.
With a variety of vegetables being grown behind their show stand the ZPCS was
showcasing how, as a corrective institution, they are empowering inmates with skills
for life after prison.
Speaking after a tour of the garden, Dr Masuka said the horticulture speaks to the
transformation of the agricultural systems.
“What we have seen here from the wonderous display by the enthusiastic exhibitors
is that agriculture is in motion. We have seen the livestock, indigenous breeds, we
have the support services and here you can clearly see that horticulture movement
in rural areas is happening in support of the transformation of rural areas under rural
development 8.0 as enunciated by the President,” he said.
ZPCS provincial public relations officer, Principal Correctional Officer Stanslous
Sanike, said the different projects at the Mutimurefu and at Masvingo Remand prison
are meant to rehabilitate the inmates as they move away from the punitive approach
to reformative approach.
“In line with our organisational theme this year which is ‘Enhancing Correction,
Transforming Lives’ we want to show how we are improving as an organisation. We
are moving away from the punitive approach of rehabilitation to a reformative
approach," said Sanike.
"We have a lot of rehabilitation projects we are doing to ensure the inmates are
transformed into better citizens. At Mutimurefu we currently have wheat under 30
hectares where we had harvested our maize and we also have livestock. We make
sure our inmates are well fed and the surplus taken to the Grain Marketing Board,”
he said.
As the agricultural sector is moving towards a US$13,75 billion economy by 2025,
the ZPCS is working also towards the growth of the sector through the
empowerment of their inmates.
“Besides growing the economy, we have not moved away from our mandate of
rehabilitating inmates. We are doing production at a large scale at the same time
rehabilitating the inmates so that when they are released into the community they will
be self-reliant.
All these projects are meant to rehabilitate inmates and the growing of our
economy,” he said.