Published by ZCS Public Relations Office;
Three Correctional Services are in the county to benchmark with
Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS) on Agriculture best practices.
The three are Angola Correctional Service, Namibia Correctional
Service and Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service.
This morning the trio paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Home
Affairs and Internal Security Honourable Jack Mwiimbu.
The Minister who welcomed the visitors said their visit to Zambia
would cement their relations and enhance Cooperation in the Southern
African Developing Countries (SADC).
Minister Mwiimbu also urged the three Services to actualize the
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that the countries have
signed with regards to inmate transfer and other resolution agreed
upon from the Joint Permanent Commission (JPC).
And speaking on behalf of the three Commissioner Generals, Zimbabwe
Prisons and Correctional Service Commissioner General Moses Chihobvu said
benchmarking was important as it would enhance co-operation in the SADC region.
“it is important that before we go to Europe or America we strengthen
cooperation within the SADC region,” he said. “Therefore, our coming to
Zambia is to exchange knowledge on good agricultural practices.”
The Zimbabwean Commissioner General said it was not the first time the country
was benchmarking with Zambia. He said Zimbabwe had already benchmarked
with ZCS on the Kalonga Milling Plant in Kabwe.
Mr. Chihobvu assured the Minister that the three countries would work to
actualize the MoU signed with ZCS.
The other two Commissioner Generals are Bernardo Pereira do Amaral Gourgel
of Angola and Raphael Tuhafeni Hamunyela of Namibia.
It is imperative to state that this is a special visit as they will be privileged to tour ZCS Farms,
at a time the farm are fully in operation as seen in the picture above.
GOVERNMENTS ARE BURDENED WITH EXPENDITURES
Commissioner General Fredrick Chilukutu of the Zambia Correctional Service(ZCS) has
hinted to visiting Commissioner Generals from Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe that all
governments are looking for partners who are productive to ease the expenditures.
The Commissioner General said that Corrections and penitentiary instructions should
maximise the labor and land resources at their disposal for huge production to feed
inmates and excess should be offloaded on the market to caution high cost of living.
“We need to show that we have potential and capacity that as Corrections we can ease the
pressure on expenditure by government” Mr Chilukutu said.
“We need to utilize the labor and land at our hands to produce and feed the Prison
population and excess on to the open market to reduce the prices of commodities.” He added.
Mr Chilukutu was speaking at Correctional Service Headquarters after an overview
presentation of ZCS Agriculture production by Superintendent Chimba Mulenga an
Agriculture Economist by profession.
And Namibia Correctional Service Commissioner General Mr Raphael Hamunyela
added that the penitentiary and Correctional systems cannot be separated from agriculture.
“Agriculture is part of the process of rehabilitating a person. We need to show the
person how to produce for themselves.” Mr. Hamunyela said.
Also adding a voice was Commissioner General Pereira do Amaral Gourgel of Angola,
who said 75 percent of the population in Correctional Centres is youthful but with little
or no skills,” he said this population should be productive not just eat and sleep.
“They need to learn more so that when they are released they have the skills to live
better lives, “he added.
Meanwhile Commissioner General Moses Chihobvu of the Zimbabwe Prisons and
Correctional Service charged that if such benchmarking and collaborations continue
Correctional Services in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) would
be leaders in Penitentiary instructions which will enhance development.
Chihobvu was also impressed with the way Zambia Correctional Service has actualized
the milling plant project that was benchmarked from Zimbabwe in 2013.
The Visitors have since proceeded to Nansanga Irrigation Development Support Project
in Serenje after a tour of Mukuyu Zambia-Egypt joint venture in Kabwe.