From Leonard Ncube in Binga
THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services in Matabeleland North province has acquired a fishing boat as it continues to venture into income generating projects to supplement food for inmates.

The fishing boat, which is already bringing 12 by 50kg bags of kapenta per day, was commissioned last Wednesday in Binga.

The project will see prisons in the province augmenting their dietary needs and some of the fish will be sold to the public to raise money for sustenance.

The ZPCS bought the boat last year in December and has called for partnerships with the private sector to be able to fully realise it’s constitutional mandate to transform from being punitive to reformative.

Commissioning the boat at the Rest Camp on the Zambezi River bank in Binga, the Minister of State for Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs, Ambassador Cain Mathema, commended the ZPCS for its efforts which he said would go a long way in complementing government’s commitments to meeting the needs of inmates.

He challenged other provinces and government departments to emulate ZPCS Matabeleland North in terms of self-sustenance.

“This momentous event marks a great achievement in the history of ZPCS particularly here in Matabeleland North as it continues in its quest for self-sustenance. Such hard work needs to be commended and if properly managed it will go a long way in augmenting the dietary needs of inmates as well as bringing in income,” said Ambasador Mathema.

He encouraged the ZPCS to create a conducive environment for inmates by adequately taking care of inmates’ dietary needs as well as working on skills and knowledge transfer to effectively transform from a punitive to a reformative way of administration.

“I am told the province has embarked on a number of projects to ensure they provide inmates with necessary nutritional needs. It is my conviction and sincere hope that prisons and correctional institutions in Matabeleland North will immensely benefit from the fishing project and will also cascade down to all other regions,” Ambassador Mathema said.

“Government entities should take a leaf from ZPCS and not depend on Treasury and I encourage all departments to come up with innovative income generating projects to supplement what government can provide. This can be done by looking around and identifying projects that are viable in our respective regions to benefit inmates and officers.”

ZPCS commissioner-general Major General Paradzai Zimondi said the prisons authority was open for business as he invited partners from the private sector.

He warned prison officers to shun corruption.

“This is a project of its kind in ZPCS. We are not saying everyone should buy a rig but we should be innovative so we sustain ourselves,” Maj Gen Zimondi said.

The Officer Commanding ZPCS in Matabeleland North, Senior Assistant Commissioner Moddie Nkomo, said the boat was bought through the efforts of prison officers in the province who helped mobilise resources.

She paid gratitude to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate for granting ZPCS a fishing licence.

Snr Asst Comm Nkomo said ZPCS was engaged in other projects such as brickmoulding where inmates retain part of the revenue for their upkeep.

“This is indeed a milestone achievement by ZPCS. Despite the economic conditions, staff mobilised resources that made it possible to purchase the boat. We are also into brickmaking where we partnered McDonald’s Bricks and each inmates gets 40 percent monetary benefit while ZPCS gets 60 percent in bricks as part of our reformative approach,” she said.

@ncubeleon