By Staff Reporter
GWERU – Relatives and friends of inmates at Whawha Medium Prison have praised the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) Family Week and urged the government to consider extending its duration.
During the ZPCS Family Week, where relatives and friends visit their incarcerated loved ones, both inmates and visitors expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to bond. Marvellous Marihoho, who visited her son serving a five-year sentence, said: “We were used to seeing them through the fence, but today we are seated and eating together. We want to thank those who came up with this day and plead with them to accord more days like having visits once a month.”
Her son, Abid Marihoho, appreciated the visit, saying: “We are happy our families have remembered us. It can be disturbing to get imprisoned, but if the prison gives us time to be with our loved ones, it becomes less stressful.” He commended the ZPCS for transforming them into better citizens, saying: “We have learnt a lot here, and we have reformed because of the education we have received from prison officers. We have learnt how to avoid trouble and do income-generating projects.”
Chemedzai Maburo, who visited her brother, also expressed her gratitude and suggested quarterly visits: “It is a blessed day, we are happy, and our relatives are also happy. We want to ask the ZPCS that it is done every three months.”
Timothy Chuma, who has been in remand prison for nearly five years, said: “This is a good day for all of us, the prisoners, our relatives, and the ZPCS. The ZPCS has demonstrated that they are concerned about our welfare as they have considered that our relatives need to see us and vice versa. We are conversing with our families, and we want to thank the leadership of this country for remembering its people.”
Chuma, who was arrested for robbery in 2021, has taken his imprisonment as an opportunity to learn: “Some people might fail to accept being behind bars, but I have taken it as a place to learn. I have been taught to live in harmony with others and know God better.” He mentioned that his trial has faced complications, but is expected to begin this month.
