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The Herald, December 27, 1994
WHILE most Zimbabweans were enjoying Christmas celebrations, 45 children aged between one month and three years are locked up at Chikurubi Prisons, not by choice, but for crimes committed by their mothers.

The children, some of whom are born while their mothers are serving prison sentences, share the already overcrowded prison cells. There are 486 female prisoners at Chikurubi.

According to the provisions of the Prisons Act, and human rights charter, a child should not be separated from the mother while breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding, apart from increasing the bond between mother and child, reduced the incidence of breast and ovarian cancer and lowered maternal mortality.

Breast milk is said to be the perfect meal for a baby and protected the infant from a host of diseases.

“When the child turns two years old, it can be taken by relatives willing to look after it. But, of course, this is done with the mother’s consent.

“If there are no relatives willing to look after the child, we appeal to the Department of Social Welfare, who can look for an institution for the child until the mother is released.

“In some cases, the child is forced to stay with the mother until she is released,” an official in the Department of Prisons said.

Funds allocated to the Department of Prisons also cater for the children’s food and clothing, but because of financial constraints, the Department cannot provide special food for the children and adequate clothing.

The prison provides health facilities with qualified nursing staff and both mother and child are provided with pre- and post-natal care at the main hospitals whenever necessary.

The official said there was no psychological effect to the children because they were still too young to understand what was going on.

When looking at children in need, those in prisons are forgotten and not even considered by charitable organisations for donations.

A visit to the prison cells will almost bring compassionate tears by watching the innocent children who have to share a small bed with their mothers, and have not much space to play on.

Fortunately for the children this year, they received donations of clothes from 14 women at the Reserve Bank and Mabelreign Catholic Church.

“These gifts that have been given, prove that the children had a proper Christmas this year. These gifts will go a long way to alleviate the problems that these children face.

“The children are here not through their own liking, but are accompanying someone who has done wrong. We would like to encourage those people who want to help. We do not refuse gifts for the children,” Acting Senior Assistant Director of Prisons Mr Gilbert Chibwe, said at the presentation ceremony last Thursday. — Ziana .

LESSONS FOR TODAY

• Dozens of children spent this Christmas in jail with their incarcerated mothers. If it was gloomy in 1994, what is it like now? Which organisations or individuals showed compassion the children’s needs?
• A Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs in 2016, realised that although Section 58 of the Prisons Act (Chapter 7:11) was being adhered to, the problem remains that children’s basic rights are not adhered to. Children’s lives are no different from those of their imprisoned mothers.
• Government should continue to provide child-friendly facilities like nurseries within prison complexes as it did at Chikurubi Female Prison, and these should be beyond reproach.