Zimpapers Logo

Yoliswa Dube
HAD she not been imprisoned, Buhle Moyo believes she could have been dead by now.

Having served a sentence for a theft conviction, Moyo found herself back in prison for assault. She is again a free person after recently benefiting from the benevolence of President Mugabe through the presidential amnesty.

Despite being a free woman, she feels prison held her life secure. As long as she is in charge of her life, she says, disaster is bound to show its head.

The mother of one says she is afraid of returning to her rowdy and reckless ways. She would rather be locked up behind bars and high walls.

“I’d be dead by now if I hadn’t been imprisoned. Initially, I stole money from the company I was working for.

“I served my sentence fully but it wasn’t too long before I found myself behind bars again.

“I had an argument with a friend who accused me of bedding her husband, the argument deteriorated into a fight and she was badly hurt,” said Moyo.

Her friend pressed charges and she was convicted of assault.

The elusive Moyo says she was not stressed about being sent to prison again.

“It was for the best,” she says, “I actually felt safer while I was in prison than I do now.

While some were happy that they had been pardoned, I was just indifferent. I do think about my child but I feel he’s better off without me in his life. My son lives with his paternal grandmother.”

There is a growing trend of ex-convicts who are released from prison but find themselves re-offending and heading back to “college”.

Released from prison under the presidential amnesty on May 25, Khupekani Sibanda, 32, ran afoul of the law on the next day after he allegedly attempted to buy using fake notes.

He tried to buy new clothes at a local flea market but a vigilant trader noticed that the $100 bill Sibanda had given her as payment was counterfeit.

An argument ensued and a police officer who overheard it came along, searched Sibanda and found $1,200 in counterfeit money on him.

He was immediately arrested.

Also released on Africa Day, Thembelani Sibanda, 27, did not waste time before reverting to his criminal past.

He allegedly broke into six homes in Kumalo suburb and made away with gas cylinders, empty 20 litre containers and clothing worth $195.

In Masvingo, Ishmael Zinyoro, 36, returned to his village in Gutu upon his release on the presidential clemency.

He argued with his wife over her failure to visit him while he was at Mutimurefu Prisons.

He also accused her of cheating on him while he served time.

For this, Zinyoro committed suicide.

Some ex-offenders like Moyo feel they have no control over their lives while others re-offend out of desperation.

Often, ex-convicts fail to get employment after release from prison while sometimes it’s their families and societies they come from that fail to accept them back.

Also critical is the question, “How correctional and rehabilitative is our national correctional service” if recidivism is going to occur.

Traditional healer David Ngwenya said the reason why some prisoners become repeat offenders was because certain “spirits” follow them.

“Bayabe belemimoya emibi ebahlezi emahlombeni (It’s because they’re possessed by evil spirits),” said Ngwenya.

The traditional healer said there was a need for such people to seek help from capable medicine men.

“The parents and relatives of these people should come together and find a lasting solution.

“Kumele badinge umuntu ozaxotsha leyo moya njalo adingisise imbangela yalelodubo (They should find someone to rid them of those spirits and find the cause of the problem),” said Ngwenya.

He said various means of earning a living should be availed to ex-prisoners on release so that they are able to sustain themselves and not revert to their criminal lives.

On May 23, President Mugabe, in terms of Section 112 (1) (a) and (d) of the Constitution, pardoned around 2,000 inmates from all of the country’s 46 jails in an effort to decongest them and improve living conditions.

The order benefited all female prisoners except those serving life sentences.

All juveniles were freed regardless of the gravity of their crimes.

Prisoners serving life sentences and were convicted on or before December 1995 were also freed.

Also pardoned are inmates who had been sentenced to 36 months and fewer and had served a quarter of their sentences by May 23.

All terminally ill persons, all who were at Connemara Open Prison and aged above 60 years having served two thirds of their sentences and all who had been convicted of stock theft were released as well.

The clemency order did not benefit murderers, rapists, armed robbers, traitors, car-jackers, sexual offenders and those jailed for violent crimes.
Zimbabwe Association for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of the Offender (Zacro) programmes director, Walter Tapfumaneyi, said the organisation works to help prevent crime and promote rehabilitation and re-integration of offenders in order to have peace in society while advocating for justice in the prisons of Zimbabwe.

The organisation, he said, works in partnership with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services.

“We try to improve the welfare of prisoners and that of ex-prisoners.

We offer inmates training in income generating projects such as poultry and market gardening.

When we have adequate funding, we support their education because some of them study and have to write exams while in prison,” said Tapfumaneyi.

ZACRO also helps with family tracing in preparation for soon-to-be-released inmates.

“A significant number of inmates would have lost touch with their families and a lot of things outside prison would’ve changed as well. Society is sceptical when it comes to ex-convicts and some families reject their relatives after they’ve been incarcerated,” he said.

The organisation, Tapfumaneyi said, tries to provide a soft landing for ex-convicts while conducting negotiations with their families and society in general.

Often, ex-convicts re-offend due to lack of a sustainable income once they’re released from prison.

“Funds permitting, we provide them with starter packs such as chicks, feed and medication for those who would’ve decided to embark on poultry projects.

We’ve started a revolving fund which gives implements worth about $200, once they get their projects rolling, they can repay the money in six months,” said Tapfumaneyi.

He attributed recidivism to families and societies rejecting ex-convicts.

“With some, it’s because they’ve nowhere else to stay and some of them don’t even have bus fare. Prison offers a roof over their heads and regular meals, that’s why they prefer it.

“Then for others, no matter how much you rehabilitate them, they’re just hardcore but these are in the minority. Some just don’t know any other life except for prison life,” said Tapfumaneyi.

Limited funding, he said, continues to be a push factor towards recidivism and failure to adequately re-integrate ex-offenders into society.

“A major problem is that of limited funding to cater for all prisoners.

But if we have funding some inmates are identified as special cases during the family tracing period and can be helped by setting up sustainable projects,” said Tapfumaneyi.

Some ex-offenders have reformed and successfully regained control of their lives.

They have managed to earn a living through applying skills learnt while in prison. Others offer fellow ex-convicts counselling and encouragement to live crime free lives.

After serving a combined 18-year jail term for various crimes at Khami Maximum Prison on the outskirts of Bulawayo, Nqobizitha Mpofu, 36, managed to turn over a new leaf.

“The country’s prison system can’t change you. You have to make a personal choice to change and become a better person.

“I learnt a lot from the prison wardens at Khami. I learnt to be respectful and honourable to fellow human beings. If you respect someone, you’ll also be respectful of their property.

“There’re church groups which used to visit the prison. We called them “visitations”. That’s where the impetus to pray and repent came from. I actually come from a very religious family. I’ve also started going to church and I’m happy there has been a change in my life.

“I’ve forgiven myself and my family has accepted me. Besides the work I do for money, I’d like to build a career in music. I’m a musician and have written some songs that I hope to release soon,” said Mpofu.

Since his release from prison, Mpofu has become passionate about educating youths on the risks and impacts of crime.

Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) acting public relations officer Superintendent Priscilla Mthembo says there are a number of factors that contribute to re-offending, chief among them society’s rejection of the ex-offenders.

“Broken down family fibre is another contributory factor as some ex-offenders lose contact with their families especially after serving longer terms of imprisonment.

They invariably find that a lot of things changed whilst they were incarcerated thus navigating into their new environment becomes difficult.

“The situation can be worsened by rejection by families, friends and community.

“Though failure to accept released offenders contributes to re-offending, in-born criminal tendencies and mere greediness can also contribute to recidivism,” said Sup Mthembo.

She said ex-offenders adapt differently to life situations with some resorting to criminal tendencies due to failure to cope with the complexities of the outside world.

“Poverty and psychological imbalances may also drive a person to re-offend.

“As part of the criminal justice system, the ZPCS is responsible for the protection of society from criminals through incarceration and rehabilitation of convicted persons for their successful re-integration into society whilst exercising reasonable, safe, secure and humane control and the administration of prisons and correctional facilities,” said Sup Mthembo.

ZPCS as a key stakeholder in the justice delivery system has the obligation to provide safe and secure incarceration to ensure that the offender stays in prison until the expiration of the sentence imposed by the courts or is lawfully released through Presidential pardons or other lawful means.

She said the term of imprisonment is punishment enough thus upon incarceration, the inmate undergoes pre-counselling to ensure that he or she accepts the wrong they did to society.

“They embark on a chosen rehabilitation area which in our context refers to treatment and training of the offender to correct the deviant mindset.

However, rehabilitation can only be successful through the involvement of key stakeholders such as family, religious groups and non-governmental organisations amongst others,” said Sup Mthembo.

All these efforts, she said, are done to ensure successful reintegration of the offender back into society.

“We are also guided by the constitution of Zimbabwe, regional and international protocols on human rights and the rights of offenders.

Thus, we are obligated to ensure offenders in our custody are safe, secure and humanely incarcerated.”