The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) has called for stronger community partnerships to promote the rehabilitation and successful reintegration of released offenders, saying collective efforts are essential in reducing stigma, addressing unemployment and building safer communities.
The call was made on Saturday, 31 October 2026, during the Africa Prisons and Correctional Service Day commemorations held at Selonga High School in Gwanda South, Matabeleland South Province.
The event attracted more than 300 people, including community members, government officials, traditional leaders, local stakeholders and inmates. It was held under the theme, “Beyond Walls, Reconfiguring Pre-Release and Transitional Justice Pathways Across African Corrections to Advance Sustainable Development Goal 16”.
Guest of Honour, Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services and Gwanda South Member of Parliament, Dr Omphile Marupi, commended the ZPCS for extending its rehabilitation initiatives beyond prison facilities and implementing community-oriented development programmes.
Dr Marupi toured exhibitions showcasing various correctional activities and expressed appreciation for the work being undertaken by the ZPCS construction unit at Selonga High School.
He particularly applauded the renovation of classroom blocks and the commencement of construction work on a girls’ dormitory, describing the initiative as an important contribution to improving access to education and the safety of learners.
“By helping to provide accommodation for learners who travel long distances, this project can improve their safety and give them better access to education,” Dr Marupi said.
He noted that the construction project also provided inmates with an opportunity to acquire practical vocational skills that could help them become self-reliant and productive members of society after completing their sentences.
The initiative demonstrated how correctional institutions could contribute to community development while equipping offenders with skills that support their rehabilitation and reintegration.
Officer Commanding Matabeleland South Province, Commissioner Cleopas Mzila Moyo, said successful rehabilitation could not be achieved by correctional institutions alone, stressing the importance of involving communities and other stakeholders in preparing offenders for life after prison.
He identified social stigma and unemployment as some of the major obstacles confronting released offenders, noting that negative attitudes and limited economic opportunities could undermine rehabilitation efforts.
“We need strong partnerships with government departments, local authorities, traditional leaders, faith-based organisations, civil society, the private sector, families and other community stakeholders,” Commissioner Moyo said.
He emphasised that communities had an important role to play in creating an environment in which rehabilitated individuals could be accepted, supported and given opportunities to rebuild their lives.
Commissioner Moyo said meaningful reintegration required a coordinated approach involving families, employers, community leaders and institutions to ensure that released offenders were not excluded from society.
The commemorations also provided an opportunity for the ZPCS to showcase its correctional programmes, skills development initiatives and the talents of inmates.
Activities at the event included a procession led by the Ntabazinduna Training School Prison Band, military drills and canine demonstrations.
Inmates from Beitbridge and Gwanda prisons also staged performances, while learners from Selonga High School and poet Lerato “Nqindi” Ndlovu provided entertainment.
The ZPCS provincial health section complemented the celebrations by providing health services to community members who attended the event, extending the institution’s community engagement beyond its correctional mandate.
In his closing remarks, Commissioner Moyo urged stakeholders to actively participate in rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, saying partnerships were critical to transforming lives and strengthening public safety.
“Let us work together to build a correctional system that promotes accountability, restores hope, protects communities and gives individuals a genuine opportunity to change,” he said.
The Africa Prisons and Correctional Service Day commemorations highlighted the importance of shifting perceptions about correctional institutions and recognising rehabilitation as a shared responsibility between prisons, communities and society at large.
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