Ntabazinduna, (New Ziana)-Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional officers should embrace modern technology to boost operational efficiency but without compromising security, ethics and professionalism, a senior official has said.
ZPCS Commissioner General Moses Chihobvu said this during a graduation of 615 students at the Ntabazinduna Training School in Matebeleland North province on Tuesday.
The officers did a number of internal development courses including supervisory management, basic stores management, basic special weapons and tactical courses, among others.
“Technology is a powerful tool, but it cannot replace human judgment, vigilance, or accountability,” said Com Gen Chihobvu.
He emphasized that all innovations should be deployed in a way that enhances, not compromises security, ethics, and professionalism.
Com Gen Chihobvu said any misuse of technology for personal gain, sabotage, or gossip will not be tolerated within the organization, stressing that such tools should be used with discipline, prudence, and strict adherence to institutional protocols.
“Let’s embrace innovation but with discipline, prudence and respect for institutional organisational protocols, “he said, adding that substance abuse and corruption pose critical threats to the integrity of the organization.
“The misuse of drugs and alcohol undermines your health, compromises operational safety and erodes public confidence,” he said, adding corruption is a cancer which must be eradicated at all costs, as it undermines the very core of the ZPCS mission.
“Whether through misappropriation of stores, trafficking of contraband, or abuse of authority, corruption undermines the very core of our mission,” he said, warning that any officer caught engaged in such misconduct will face dicicive disciplinary and legal consequences.
Addressing the issue of self-reliance, Com Gen Chihobvu noted that while the core mandate of the ZPCS focuses on incarceration, rehabilitation, and reintegration, the organization is undergoing a transformation, with a growing focus on productivity, innovation, and entrepreneurship to better achieve its objectives
“I therefore urge you all to actively embrace entrepreneurship by developing projects at your respective institutions. Let us work toward self-sufficiency and increased productivity, in keeping with our national mantra: ‘A nation is built by its people.”
He said the ZCPS has prioritised continuous training and capacity building of Correctional Officers as a key strategic focus, with course undertaken being a broader agenda to professionalise its operations, institutional efficiency and promote ethical conduct.
“Training is not an academic formality, it is a strategic investment in the human capital that drives our correctional service forward,” he said.
New Ziana
