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Investigations Editor

The Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services has recruited at least 20 officers from the San community in Tsholotsho, as part of the organisation’s efforts to reach out to the marginalised and promote inclusivity.

The deliberate move is in line with Government’s policy of accommodating everyone without discrimination as enshrined in the supreme law of the country.

In a tweet, the Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana announced the development.

“The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services has started implementing a deliberate policy of recruiting officers from members of the San community. They are starting with 20 individuals. Yesterday (Friday) The Commissioner General Chihobvu met with the first three females and seven males,” reads the tweet.

In an interview, ZPCS Deputy Commissioner-General Shepherd Mpofu said the countrywide selection process starts early November with the successful candidates expected to commence training in January next year.

“Government has always advocated for the inclusion of the San people in all sectors and we are simply implementing the policy. We will start by recruiting 20 this year and there is a waiver to recruit them without considering the normal entry qualification of five O Levels subjects. The first 20 will be part of other recruits whose selection process has been set for the first week of November this year. Training will start in January 2022,” said DCG Mpofu.

A check with the officer-in-charge  of Tsholotsho Prison, Chief Correctional Officer Casper Nhende, revealed that the officers on the ground are still identifying potential candidates.

“So far, eight people have been approached and accepted the offer to train as correctional officers. They are all from Mtshina community in Tsholotsho. At times we face challenges in locating them as some run away upon seeing us coming. Some reject the offer and prefer staying in their communities without going to work.

“So we are still searching for the interested candidates and we will start by recruiting 20,” said CCO Nhende.

ZPCS Commissioner General Moses Chihobvu was in Tsholotsho last week where he met the first seven candidates who had shown interest in joining the service.

He had an opportunity of having photo shoots with the seven.

The country’s Health Ambassador, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa recently reached out to the San community where she distributed an assortment of personal protective equipment (PPE) that included face masks and sanitisers.

During the interactive meeting, she tackled various issues affecting the community which also held its Amai’s traditional cook-out competition with contestants showcasing their traditional dishes.

Among other dishes, they prepared hogwana, umxhanxa, amacimbi, roasted meat, road runner, dried vegetables in peanut butter, pumpkins. 

They prepared the food in makeshift kitchens which resembled how they set up their kitchen huts in their culture.

The traditional stoves used by contestants during Amai’s cook-out traditional meal cooking competition in Plumtree on Monday.

The participants also exhibited N’hahanyama tree saying the barks treated hypertension and heart challenges. It is soaked in water overnight and one drinks the water. 

As the San community, they said they relied more on traditional herbs to cure different ailments.