The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
A nation where there is peace, security and protection of the lives of people, property and communities against criminal elements, is assured of sustainable development and national prosperity, President Mnangagwa said yesterday.
The President was speaking during the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) 148th Recruit Correctional Officers’ pass-out parade held at the Ntabazinduna Prisons and Correctional Service Training School in Matabeleland North. He said an ideologically rooted people, alive to the country’s foundational past, can chart a strong and prosperous course for the future.
“As you leave this training school, you must continuously draw from that rich history and have a clear understanding of the path we are taking as a country towards building the Zimbabwe we want. As members of our security services, you must act in accordance to the constitution, laws and international conventions and protocols. Hold sacred your duty to protect society from those who have been incarcerated. Play your part in the rehabilitation of convicted persons and ensure their reintegration into society,” said President Mnangagwa.
He called on ZPCS to work on establishing agro-industrial parks which will go a long way in complementing Government’s efforts of coming up with a US$8,2 billion agriculture sector economy.
“I challenge the ZPCS to exploit its capabilities, competences and skills by establishing agro-industrial parks to unlock the immense potential that exists in agriculture beneficiation and value chain development. I am pleased to note that through robust implementation of the ZPCS farms production policy, the ZPCS farms have begun to witness increased land utilisation. In support of this initiative, Government has since availed 20 tractors, three combine harvesters and 10 seed drill planters to the prisons and correctional services,” said President Mnangagwa.
The President called on ZPCS to strive to enhance the empowerment and productivity prospects of rehabilitated offenders as they return to society. He said the ongoing housing and construction boom, industrialisation thrust and import substitution drive provides the ZPCS with scope for new capacity building programmes and rehabilitation strategies.
“The importance of education, training and continuous learning cannot be over emphasised. As such the adoption of the smart prison concept, through the use of technologies for modernising the prison management system is applauded.
“The technological and innovation drive will go a long way towards improving service delivery. It is equally in sync with the SADC Strategic Indicative Plan III, with regards to the promotion of public safety and security, decongesting prisons, regional coordination on the transfer of prisoners between states and the objective to build peacekeeping capacity among prison and correctional officers,” said the President.
President Mnangagwa further applauded the ZPCS gender policy, which recently saw the President promoting two female officers to the rank of Deputy Commissioner-General, saying this was reflective of his administration’s commitment to gender parity, equity and equality across the public sector.
He further reiterated the Government’s zero tolerance to crime and corruption noting that this was one of the strategies that will see the country journey towards a more prosperous and empowered society.
“Deviant behaviour, criminal acts and social delinquency have no place in our society.
“Communities, the police and the prison departments along with other stakeholders are directed to urgently scale up awareness programmes on crime prevention, conflict resolution and management.
“Our country’s rich culture and vibrant social systems must equally be strengthened for higher standards of morality and uprightness among our people, especially the youth. You, the recruits graduating into the security service sector, must desist from all forms of corruption,” said President Mnangagwa.
Also speaking at the pass-out parade, ZPCS Commissioner-General Moses Cyril Ngawaite Chihobvu said as the ZPCS they were taking seriously President Mnangagwa’s call for gender equality as they had included this in their strategic plan.
“We have done justice to recognise the need to realise gender consideration and elevated women on a 50/50 equity by promoting two female officers to the position of deputy commissioner-generals, in February this year.
“I would like to assure you, Your Excellency, President Mnangagwa that this is an ongoing exercise that will see women taking up crucial positions following the recent approval of the department’s restructuring drive that is aligned to our strategic plan,” said Comm-Gen Chihobvu.
