THE Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services (ZPCS), accused of showing favour to incarcerated ex-Cabinet ministers and other public figures by separating them from other inmates and offering them special treatment, has defended its position saying the practice is meant to protect them against violence and harassment.
Speaking during an all-stakeholder anti-graft Indaba
organised by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and Transparency
International Zimbabwe (TIZ) in Harare recently, ZPCS Deputy
Commissioner-General Christine Manhivi said such public figures were prone to
abuse and harassment in the cells.
Recently, there was a public outcry after reports filtered
that a former Cabinet minister Prisca Mupfumira arrested for corruption-related
charges was offered five-star treatment in remand prison.
Reports also made rounds that some prison officers had developed
relationships with inmates to an extent of allowing them to be intimate with
their partners in solitary cells, while serving.
Other inmates were reportedly seen attending family
funerals when they are expected to be in prison.
Deputy Comm-Gen Manhivi said prisoners are classified
differently and ministers and other public figures fall under the class of
those who need protection by removal from others. She said the treatment of
such inmates is not a favour, but ZPCS protects them in terms of the law.
“We have different classes of inmates who, all need
protection in terms of the law. All of us are potential prisoners and we must
protect inmates as required by the law.
“Ministers and other public figures are prone to verbal and
physical abuse when in custody by some angry inmates.
“Recently a female minister who was in remand prison, was
harassed and threatened with violence by some inmates who accused of failing to
build proper cells while in Government. We had to remove her and place her in a
different cell as a way of protecting her from attack,” she said.
Deputy Comm-Gen Manhivi said the isolation of the minister
is not a favour, but ZPCS simply acts in terms of the law.
“That is neither a favour nor preferential treatment at
all. It’s not about giving them preferential treatment, but it’s a matter of
classes. We simply separate them from the violent ones in terms of the law,”
she said.
However, legal experts described the practice as unfair. Harare
lawyer Mr Alex Majachani said all inmates were equal regardless of their status
in society.
“It is not appropriate at all. It violates the right to
equality before the law. All inmates have the same status in prisons and no one
must be treated differently.
“Again, high ranking officials need to appreciate the
conditions of prisons once they are caught on the wrong side of the law,” said
Mr Majachani.
South Africa-based lawyer Mrs Tambudzai Gonese-Manjonjo
said the practice only benefits public figures. “It’s unfair. I think if
everyone is subjected to the same conditions as others in cells, chances of
having improvements in prison conditions will be higher. High profile inmates
will be heard better,” she said. A check with the criterion used to determine
who qualifies for open prison shows that one’s status in society was not
considered.
Any inmate who would have served for about three years and
left with two years of his or her jail term can be considered to serve in an
open prison.
Those serving for serious offences like murder,
stock-theft, robbery, rape and other sexual offences cannot be considered. They
also consider one’s behaviour when he or she was serving in a closed prison.
Since open prisons allow home visits, ZPCS establishes whether
or not the inmate has relatives who can accept him for periodic home visits
from open prison.
Meanwhile, another ZPCS official Chief Superintendent
Patricia Mavhembu said corruption levels have significantly gone down through
awareness programmes and continuous training of officers.
She said at times officers would create a corrupt
relationship with inmates or their relatives, but ZPCS command read riot act,
whipping them into line.
“We have heard of relations built between officers and
inmates or their relatives where inmates end up getting favours.
“In the procurement section, payments are done to suppliers
on a first come, first serve basis, but those who supply late may get paid first
because of corruption.
“The management read recently the riot act against
corruption right from the top to the most junior officer. There is now tight
monitoring and review of operations to ensure compliance. Through such
measures, ZPCS has managed to reduce corruption among its officers.
“In any organisation there are always bad apples, but they
are dealt with in terms of the law. Rogue elements are dismissed,” she said. Herald
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