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Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Commissioner-General Retired Major-General Paradzai Zimondi (right) confers new badges and rank to Deputy Commissioner-General Dr Alford Mashango Dube at a ceremony in Harare yesterday. – (Picture by Justin Mutenda)

Nyemudzai Kakore: Herald Correspondent

Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services’ (ZPSC) legal battles against perceived breach of inmates’ social rights, including dietary and health issues, will soon be a thing of the past following the promotion of Assistant Commissioner Dr Alford Mashango Dube, to the position of Deputy Commissioner-General, ZPCS Commissioner-General Retired Major- General Paradzai Zimondi said yesterday.Speaking at the conferment of badges to Dep Comm-Gen Dr Dube, Comm-Gen Zimondi said his new role was a paradigm shift from the old approach of prison management to the new approach that emphasised on the rehabilitation of offenders.

Comm-Gen Zimondi said Dr Dube’s appointment should also bring with it the needed values and contributions in ensuring that the ZPCS Act was aligned to the new Constitution.

This, he said, would help the organisation to execute its constitutional mandate without violating the rights of inmates.

“Today’s ceremony is yet another interesting piece of event that will be remembered in future as historic moments for the ZPCS, given that it is the first time ever that we are witnessing someone from the specialist section being accorded a rank that has in the past seemed to be a preserve of the general duties section personnel,” he said.

Said Comm-Gen Zimondi: “We therefore envisage that the polished Act should go a long way in helping the service to execute its duties as guided by the legal instrument, which shall also be in sync with our principal legislation; that is, the Constitution.”

Comm-Gen Zimondi said the promotion of a medical doctor was an achievement as there were legal, ethical, social, and public health matters in prisons.

He said proper health care helped to preserve inmates’ physical function, making it possible for their successful reintegration into society as they would embark on productive activities thereby avoiding being a burden to society.

“As prison officers, we spend some time with prisoners as much as we do with outside communities. It follows that in the event of an outbreak of communicable diseases in prisons, we are also most likely to get infected and spread the diseases to the outside communities,” he said.

“Our organisation is one of the country’s security services, which means it requires a workforce, which is physically and mentally fit. Failure to value and promote the health of our officers is therefore equivalent to shooting ourselves in the foot because we will be weakening our security.”

Dr Dube in his acceptance speech said, given his medical background, he would enhance ZPCS health delivery system and the country at large.

The post fell vacant in February 2016 when former Deputy Commissioner- General Rhodes Moyo retired from the service.