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Fungai Lupande Herald Reporter
Stigmatisation and labelling of ex-convicts by society are stalling Government efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate former prisoners, a Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPSC) official said.

Speaking at the graduation of 14 inmates in tobacco production last Friday, Deputy Commissioner General Moses Chihobvu said Government was spending a lot of resources rehabilitating inmates.

“Everyone is a potential prisoner, don’t judge incarcerated people on what they have already done but how they rehabilitate and correct their mistakes,” said Dep Comm-Gen Chihobvu.

“Ex-convicts are often seen as the ‘black sheep’ and are shunned by the community they came from,” he said.

“This is negatively affecting the rehabilitation and reintegration process. Most people are reluctant to accept, employ or associate with ex-convicts, thus making their lives difficult.

“Government is spending a lot of resources rehabilitating inmates. I want to encourage and challenge society to give ex-convicts another chance, to err is human.”

Successful rehabilitation and reintegration was only guaranteed where society played its role, said Dep Comm-Gen Chihobvu.

“We are not clever not to be in jail today. If the police were to monitor each one of us every day, I am sure we would all end up in jail for various offences,” he said.

“I want to thank relatives of today’s graduates for coming out to support their relatives and ZPCS.”