MARTIN MAWAYA
SHURUGWI—Shurugwi North MP Joseph Mpasi has pledged to install a biogas digester system at Shurugwi Female Prison to ease inmates’ reliance on firewood and improve access to sustainable energy at the correctional facility.
Procurement of the equipment is expected to begin on Monday, Mpasi said while interacting with incarcerated mothers and their children during a Family Week visit at the prison.
“Starting from tomorrow (Monday), we will procure the biogas equipment and begin construction so that inmates no longer walk long distances in search of firewood,” he said.
For years, inmates have endured physically demanding routines of sourcing firewood from surrounding bushes, a task that adds to the hardship of incarceration.
The proposed biogas system is expected to ease that burden while introducing a cleaner and more efficient energy source at the institution.
In addition, Mpasi donated more than 200 chicks to kick-start a poultry project at the prison, an initiative aimed at improving nutrition and equipping inmates with income-generating skills for life after release.
Accompanied by his wife, Florence Mpasi, the legislator urged inmates to embrace rehabilitation.
“Prison must not only be viewed as a place of punishment, but as a centre for reform, education and skills development,” he said.
Officials from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service said programmes such as Family Week are central to ongoing efforts to strengthen rehabilitation and reintegration.
Officer-in-charge Wadzanai Zimunya said the initiative helps restore hope and rebuild family bonds.
“This programme reflects our commitment to the well-being and rehabilitation of inmates. It strengthens family ties and promotes emotional support, which are essential for successful reintegration,” she said.
Zimunya also raised concern over the plight of inmates’ children, many of whom face stigma and discrimination in their communities.
“These children are often judged for circumstances beyond their control. As a society, we must support and uplift them,” she said.
Family Week programmes, which allow inmates to spend time with their loved ones, are increasingly being recognised as critical in rebuilding relationships and reducing reoffending.
