Story by Fairstars Mukungurutse
THE ongoing Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) Family Week is providing inmates with a valuable opportunity to reconnect and bond with their loved ones, fostering hope and strengthening ties essential for reintegration into society.
Among those benefiting from the initiative is Zimdancehall artiste Joseph Mutamba, popularly known as Chigudo Chihomu Homu, who described the experience as deeply uplifting.
Inmates often face profound disconnection from the outside world following incarceration, as relationships with family and society become strained. However, programmes such as Family Week offer a rare and meaningful chance for inmates to spend quality time with their relatives.
Mutamba expressed joy after reuniting with his wife and child in a more relaxed setting.
“I am very happy to meet my wife and child in a more relaxed environment. This programme should be done more frequently as it helps us in our efforts to change. Right now, I am working on my career and will be releasing my new album soon,” he said.
Another inmate, who met his grandchild for the first time since his incarceration, could not hide his excitement.
“Being happy is an understatement. I am more than excited to see my first-born’s child. He was conceived while I was here, and this is my first time seeing him.”
While some inmates expressed remorse over their circumstances, they acknowledged the importance of family support during their rehabilitation journey.
“The circumstances which landed me here are difficult to explain. We were living in South Africa and were charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping. However, that is now water under the bridge. Today is a new day, and we are grateful that our loved ones came to see how we are coping,” one inmate said.
Another inmate highlighted the importance of dignity and second chances.
“I am a hairdresser by profession, and I practise my skills during my spare time here. Today, my mother came to visit me. People sometimes think that when you are incarcerated, you do not deserve love. We have made mistakes, but we are learning from them,” the inmate said.
From private conversations to shared meals, the ZPCS Family Week is proving to be a vital platform for rebuilding broken relationships.
ZPCS Officer-in-Charge for Harare Central Prison, Superintendent Makawa Mandipuwa, said the initiative plays a key role in rehabilitation.
“This initiative is aimed at accelerating the reintegration of inmates into the community. When family members and friends visit their loved ones, the family bond is strengthened.”
Since its inception in 2017, the family week has been one of the most productive and rewarding parts of the ZPCS rehabilitation and reintegration programme.
