T
he Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) says its commitment to deliberate inclusion efforts is beginning to bear fruit in rural areas as it continues to engage marginalised communities and bring the public closer to understanding the institution’s work.
Recently, as part of a career guidance drive, ZPCS reached out to Cameroon Primary School in Mbembesi, Umguza district, in Matabeleland North province.
At the centre of the event were officers from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, led by assistant correctional officer (APCO) Mpiyabo Nyoni from the human capital management.
Nyoni and his team from Ntabazinduna Prisons Training School engaged learners on how they can one day become correctional officers.
For years, many people had limited understanding of how ZPCS operated, often reducing it to a place of detention only and this misunderstanding was addressed.
Correctional experts explain that punitive measures are often associated with pain infliction, while rehabilitation emphasizes reform preparing offenders to return to society as better citizens.
“The ZPCS exists for the protection of society from criminal elements through incarceration, rehabilitation, and reintegration of offenders.
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“As long as offenders are in custody there will be peace in society, and whilst in custody offenders are subjected to various rehabilitative strategies like skills training in horticulture, motor mechanics, building, carpentry among many others,” Nyoni said.
Nyoni highlighted that the ZPCS is not only about detention.
“ZPCS works towards restoring offenders, promoting public safety, and supporting discipline and order in the community,” he said.
Many parents and learners were surprised to learn about the correctional service beyond misconceptions of imprisonment alone.
One parent Dumisani Khumalo said he had long been “in the dark” about ZPCS.
“Our learners and youths should take this opportunity to join the ZPCS so they can contribute to upholding our people’s values through the Prisons,” Khumalo said.
Among other key issues discussed were the ZPCS recruitment process, and eligibility requirements for those who wish to join.
The explanations strongly moved parents, who began to view ZPCS not just as an institution, but as a career choice worth planning for.
Since 2021 the ZPCS has embarked on a wider inclusion drive, by recruiting officers from marginalised areas such as the San Community in Tsholotsho.
In 2025, commissioner-general Moses Chihobvu was roped in as a board member of the International Corrections and Prison Association, a development that had strengthened Zimbabwe’s recognition for transformative rehabilitation programmes.
