ZPCS Commissioner General Moses Chihobvu (left) speaks to Corporate Chaplaincy Services Director, Brian Moyo
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) has partnered with the Corporate Chaplaincy Services, to set up a radio station at Chikurubi Maximum Prison gallows, a rehabilitative move meant to allow inmates to tell their own story.
Following the abolishment of the death penalty on December 31 last year when President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the Death Penalty Abolition Bill into law, it was realised that the gallows would no longer be useful.
But through ZPCS and Corporate Chaplaincy Services initiative, it was decided that the gallows be changed to house the radio station which is set to go live in less than a month.
In an interview with this reporter at the ZPCS stand at the ongoing Zimbabwe Agricultural Show, Brian Moyo, Director at Corporate Chaplain’s Services, said they are elated with this partnership which will positively impact the inmates’ lives.
“After the grand abolishment of the death penalty by the President of Zimbabwe His Excellency Mnangagwa, we were excited about that, but that also meant that we now have the gallows lying idle without anything happening there.
“So through our partnership with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services PR Department, Madam Khanyezi and her team and the Commissioner General Chihobvu, we actually sat down to put up a plan to start a radio station for the prison.
“So we are changing a place of death into broadcasting life out of that particular place, to actually impact and change the lives of the inmates, number 1, and also the lives of the communities around these same prisons at the same time,” said Moyo.
He added: “so what we are simply saying is that this is going to be assisting the rehabilitative work that is already being done by ZPCS and we are saying we want also to be able to increase the efforts and the works of rehabilitation.
“And also at the same time, this is going to help us to curb crime and other challenges that actually affect the people on the outside; why because we are having the inmates sharing their stories.
“We are having inmates giving their testimonials, we are having the inmates being the rightful people on the ground, they don’t have to go anywhere, but inside the prison, this is where the station will be.
“It’s actually going to be at Chikurubi Maximum Prison in the gallows where people used to be hanged, but right now through the works of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, we are going to be broadcasting from there,” said Moyo.
He emphasized that they are working on the project as partners to further the work of the government.
“The plan is that if this pilot project works very well, whatever is being broadcasted here, the same broadcast can be shared with all the other prisons within the country.
“So we are excited with this initial stage because it is going to open more doors.
“We are now implementing this project at this point and we are busy setting up the radio station, so in probably a month or less we will be going live, because everything else is done,” added Moyo.
ZPCS Spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Meya Khanyezi (left) and Corporate Chaplaincy Services Director, Brian Moyo
Similar sentiments were echoed by ZPCS Spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Meya Khanyezi, who said after abolishment of the death penalty by President Mnangagwa, ZPCS realised that the gallows would become defunct, so they had to put them to better use.
“We saw it prudent that we had to utilise these structures, let’s change the story because now our focus is hinging more on the correctional aspect.
“Even as you look at our stand, you can see the correctional aspect I’m referring to, like our inmates are even free to interact with members of the community.
“So when we had the abolishment of the death penalty, it opened up a lot of things.
“And we also realised that people have to see these facilities, so we also made them into a museum.
“What it means for ZPCS especially our inmates is that we are now in a position to speak with our own voice, to tell our own story.
“An inmate is now able to tell his or her story without any distortions.
“The inmates will do programmes on air, they will be presenting, so it will be officers and inmates as our presenters, so this will empower the inmates to see that they are also capable to do what their officers are doing,” said Assistant Commissioner Khanyezi.
