Scottland Football Club, owned by businessman Honourable Pedzisayi “Scott” Sakupwanya, recently extended its sports outreach programme to Chikurubi Maximum Prison, where it launched intra-prison tournaments in football, volleyball and chess named after Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League clubs.
The initiative, aimed at boosting inmate morale and supporting rehabilitation through sport, also saw the donation of football jerseys and other sporting equipment.
A delegation from the club, led by General Secretary Mr Fortune Bgwoni, oversaw the launch.
Addressing inmates, Mr Bgwoni said, “We are carrying on the legacy of our team owner, Honourable Sakupwanya, who believes in football development in the country.
“He is expanding his passion to find talent among those who are behind bars so they can feel that the society outside has not abandoned them.
This initiative will help us identify talented players who might have been overlooked and give them a second chance as part of the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders back into their communities.”
Club spokesperson Mr George Munengwa said the initiative would be sustained through continued engagement, with a focus on identifying talented inmates who could eventually be integrated into the club’s structures, in support of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service rehabilitation agenda.
Chief Correctional Officer Collen Makaza, a former 50km marathon world champion and six-time gold medallist, attended the launch and commended the programme, highlighting its role in strengthening rehabilitation through sport.
Inmates’ captain Lawrence Mangwayana, representing the winning soccer team, expressed appreciation for the gesture.
“We are very pleased to witness this initiative, to lift the trophy, and to receive hampers as the winning team, as this keeps us busy and helps us stay away from crime,” he said.
The engagement was described as a success, with plans to roll out similar programmes across other correctional facilities in Zimbabwe.
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