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Precious Manomano-Herald Reporter

Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Service (ZPCS) has commissioned 50 houses for prison warders at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison complex in a bid to ease staff accommodation challenges.

Apart from the staff houses, ZPCS also received farming equipment acquired from Belarus which included 20 tractors, 10 planters and three combine harvesters to enhance their agricultural production.

Officiating at the commissioning of the houses and handing over of tractors, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the house construction project and provision of the farming equipment would improve the accommodation situation and enhance agricultural production.

He said Government had the urge of helping on the ZPCS’s offender rehabilitation programmes in terms of imparting knowledge and skills to inmates.

 “When it comes to offender rehabilitation, this is key in that such knowledge and skills are critical as they provide some form of livelihoods to the beneficiaries upon discharge from prisons and correctional facilities. 

“Such knowledge and skills will make it possible for the beneficiaries to live as productive and law abiding citizens thus becoming able to fend for themselves and their families as well as contributing towards the country’s economic growth and development,” said Minister Ziyambi.

 Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice Mrs Virginia Mabhiza weighed in saying: “Commissioning of the new houses augurs well with the key result area on the provision of institutional accommodation for all officers through the construction of staff houses.”

“The provision of the mechanised agricultural equipment also underscores the need for improved production to enable self-sustenance in terms of food production and production of surplus for income generation. 

“I challenge the ZPCS staff to play their part in terms of increased production within the prison farms and achieve self-sufficiency, generate surplus for revenue among other key achievables,” said Mrs Mabhiza

 Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube said the ZPCS’s move on construction projects was in tandem with the country’s socio economic initiatives pronounced in the National Development Strategy 1(NDS1).

“Indeed the efforts are commended taking into account staff houses will ease the department’s accommodation challenges and with renovation works on the prison infrastructure, this will make them more habitable,” said Minister Ncube.

He also promised to provide full budgetary support to the projects undertaken by ZPCS to promote growth and economic development.

“In this regard, I rest assure you that efforts will be made to provide the necessary budgetary support to see the ZPCS successfully undertaking its programmes and activities,” said Minister Ncube.

In a speech read on his behalf, Minister of Housing and Social Amenities Daniel Garwe said ZPCS had shown support for the National Vision by rolling out the project, which marked a milestone towards the provision of decent and habitable housing for all.

 “My Ministry continues to work with various urban councils to identify State land in the peri-urban areas that can be suitable for housing development and we remain committed to the provision of such land under prescribed terms and conditions,” said Minister Garwe.

ZPCS Commissioner General Moses Chihobvu said they were grateful for the progress and development oriented support from Government towards the successful execution of various tasks and projects. 

“We are grateful for the support and we are sure that our farms will be productive and living conditions for the staff will be improved”, said Comm Gen Chihobvu.