The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) says it is committed to turning prisons into centres of productivity through rehabilitation and skills training aimed at contributing to national economic growth.
This was highlighted during the 2025 Prisons and Correctional Service Day commemorations held recently in Masvingo, where inmates and officers showcased products ranging from agricultural produce to clothing and crafts.
ZPCS Officer Commanding Masvingo Province, Commissioner Nelson Chikwature, said the new approach focuses on aligning correctional services with national development goals.
“In Masvingo, we are implementing agricultural projects, vocational training centres, and building brigades that contribute to infrastructure development while equipping inmates with certified technical skills,” he said.
Some inmates who benefited from the programmes expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn and work.
“I joined the pottery team and I am now making vases. I hope to continue this work after my release,” one inmate said.
Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Ezra Chadzamira, who was the guest of honour, commended ZPCS for shifting from a punitive to a developmental model.
“The transformation of ZPCS into a rights-based and productive institution is a story of national progress. Correctional industries in agriculture, construction, and manufacturing are vital to rehabilitation and economic growth,” he said.
The event ran under the theme “Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service for Economic Growth: Integrating Rehabilitation into Industrialisation.”
