A total of 670 prisoners from Khami Maximum Prison housing
only male inmates and nine female inmates at Mlondolozi were released
yesterday.
Speaking just before the release of the amnesty
beneficiaries, Officer Commanding Bulawayo Prisons, Commissioner Mkhulunyelwa
Ngwenya said the remaining inmates were visibly down psychologically and
stressed following the release of their colleagues, some of whom were cellmates
for over 10 years.
They had become a family hence the impact of the separation
following the release of their colleagues.
“The release of these guys has badly affected some of the
remaining inmates, they are terribly stressed hence the decision to conduct
counselling sessions as from Monday. We shall engage professional counsellors
including pastors who will talk to them and give them assurances that the world
hasn’t ended. They need to be convinced that their chance will come because we
have a listening leader in President Mnangagwa,” said Comm Ngwenya.
The Second Republic under President Mnangagwa has been
exercising mercy to the inmates.
Comm Ngwenya, who was accompanied by his deputy Assistant
Commissioner Priscilla Mthembo and Officer in Charge of Khami Maximum Prison,
Chief Superintended Joe Matyavira said the release of the inmates has
drastically reduced resources needed for the upkeep of prisoners which means
significant savings.
“We had a lot of challenges like buying food and paying for
water but now following this Presidential pardon, we will be able to channel
some of the savings to other critical areas which include but not limited to
income-generating projects such as farming,” said Comm Ngwenya.
Addressing the released prisoners, Comm Ngwenya urged them
to go out and live well with the community.
He noted that there could be challenges in reintegrating
the former prisoners into society as relatives and even society at large might
shun them.
“Some will call you names, some will spit on you, calling
you ibhantinti leli but please let’s have big hearts and try not to worry much
about such negatives. Those that have acquired certain skills while in prison,
please let’s use them to make money and earn a living for ourselves and our
families. Let us go and be part of the economic turnaround of this country as
per the vision of the Second Republic of an upper-middle income economy by
2030. So go out there and don’t come back here,” said Comm Ngwenya.
For 27-year-old Elias Chibaya, who was arrested for rape in
2015 as a 19-year-old teenager, prison life afforded him a rare opportunity to
attain academic qualifications after managing to study and pass his Ordinary
and Advanced Level examinations. He obtained nine points in commercials at
A-level and also acquired a tertiary qualification in carpentry.
“While not being proud of what I did, life at Khami Maximum
Prison has completely changed my life. When I came here I initially felt like
it was the end of life for me but through the many life lessons we were being
given here, I enrolled at the prison school for my O-levels which I passed and
proceeded to do A-level. I again pased with nine points and now that I am going
out, my wish is to enrol for University studies,” said Chibaya from Chivhu.
Khami Prison has a fully-fledged primary, secondary and
tertiary school whose teachers and lecturers are all inmates.
“Coming here is not the end of life as people may think, it
can actually transform one into a complete person. We have a fully-fledged
education facility here whose teachers are all inmates and interestingly,
education is for free right up to tertiary level,” said Chief Supt Matyavira.
Another released inmate was businessman Danis David Konson
who was arrested and sentenced to death in 2014 for fatally shooting his
girlfriend Siphathisiwe Ncube three times after she had dumped him.
He was sent to the
gallows by the now retired Judge, Justice Lawrence Kamocha. Konson challenged
the verdict at the Constitutional Court which overturned the judgement and
sentenced him to 25 years in prison. Chronicle
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