Seventy-three inmates from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) Bulawayo Metropolitan Province graduated from Bulawayo Polytechnic College on 13 August 2026.
The graduates, comprising 68 males and five females, completed short courses in Boiler Making, Hospitality and Food Preparation, Plumbing, Carpentry, Auto Mechanics, Bricklaying, House Wiring, Tailoring, Cosmetology, Mechanics, Animal Husbandry and Crop Production.
The graduates joined thousands of students at the college’s 97th graduation ceremony, which was attended by Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Honourable Simelisizwe Sibanda as Guest of Honour.
Addressing the graduands, Honourable Sibanda said education was instrumental in driving economic development and human capital development was central to the nation’s future.
He commended the partnership between Bulawayo Polytechnic College and ZPCS, describing the inmates’ graduation as “a demonstration of inclusivity within the education sector.”
“You must become torch bearers and use the expertise you have acquired to contribute meaningfully to national development,” he said.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Honourable Judith Mkwanda Ncube said the certificates represented practical knowledge and skills that could enable the graduands to earn a living and contribute to the economy.
Lungisani Mazanga, who graduated in Crop Production, said the certificate represented the capabilities he had acquired.
“I pledge to use my skills to contribute to the nation, particularly in agriculture,” he said.
Cosmetology graduate Rumbidzai Tauro said the training had equipped her with skills to improve her life and contribute to the national economy.
The Acting Officer Commanding Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Assistant Commissioner Priscilla Mtembo, was among senior ZPCS officers who attended the ceremony.
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