Plans to move Prisons HQ unsettles Sinyangwe

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——-Central Province Permanent Secretary, Anne Sinyangwe says government has to convince the province as to why the Zambia Prisons Service Head Quarters are alleged to be in the prospect of being moved to Lusaka.

Mrs Sinyangwe said the aspect of decentralisation is welcome but observed that if the Prisons Head Quarters is moved to Lusaka, then the move would stall some of the planned developmental projects by the Provincial Administration.

She further observed that despite the move being an apparent advantage at national level it would be an apparent disadvantage to the prevailing efforts of development in Central Province and Kabwe in particular.

“We have planned developmental projects with Prisons HQ here in Kabwe, therefore, if the HQ is moved, then the existing and prospective developmental projects by the Provincial Administration pertaining to the Prisons Service would be stalled,” noted Mrs Sinyangwe.

The Cental province Permamne Secretary said this yesterday when Zambia Prisons Service Commissioner, Percy Chato and his South African counterpart in the Department of Correctional Services, Tom Moyane who is also the Chairperson for the African Correctional Services Association visited her.

Mr Moyane was in the country for a familiarisation tour of the Zambian Prisons Service facilities and operations in line with the bilateral agreements signed between the two countries in 2006.

“My coming here (in Zambia) is to appreciate the (selected) prisons facilities in this country and give impetus to the men and women in the Correctional Service of Zambia…… and am also here to expand the footprints of the Correctional Services and to cement the bilateral relations between the two countries,” said Mr Moyane.

And he described the prisons service as “the most important institution in the Judicial System of any country”.
Commissioner, Moyane first started his familiarisation tour of selected prisons facilities at the renowned Mwembeshi Open and Mwembeshi Maximum Prisons respectively.

He further extended his visit to the renowned Kabwe Maximum Prison and to the now christened Gibbie Namakando Nawa Prisons Staff Training College, named after the First Commissioner of Prisons in Zambia.

Meanwhile, in his introductory remarks, Zambia Prisons Service Commissioner, Percy Chato reaffirmed that the visit by his counterpart is to ensure that Mr Moyane appreciates the existing and prospective prisons facilities in the selected places in the country.

He further added that the visit by his counterpart is also intended at maintaining and rekindling the bilateral agreement signed between South Africa and Zambia in 2006.

During his visit at the training college, Mr Moyane appreciated the efforts being made by the command at the institute after he was furnished with information on the College’s background, prime objective and the staffing levels.

And, in his address to Prisons Service Personnel at the college and at the Head Quarters, Mr Moyane notably implored Prisons Personnel to respect Human rights and to portray exemplary behaviour of discipline and to most significantly stick to the main goal of the commission.

The Correctional Service’s main goal is “To efficiently and effectively provide and maintain humane custodial and correctional services to inmates and to increase industrial and agricultural production in order to contribute to the well-being and reform of inmates and maintenance of internal security.”

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