First Lady visits jailed women and their children

Tendai Rupapa

Senior Reporter

MOTHERLY love drove First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa to visit jailed women and their children at the Chikurubi Female Prison on Thursday, in a heart-warming gesture that saw some inmates shedding tears of joy.

The gesture showed the inclusivity of the First Lady’s programmes, which are all-encompassing and tailored to ensure no one and no place is left behind.

While some view prisoners as worthless, in Dr Mnangagwa’s eyes, they are equal in importance to everyone else and also capable of contributing to the development of their families, community and the nation in various ways, once rehabilitated.

Dr Mnangagwa regularly visits the country’s correctional facilities to interface with inmates and was instrumental in the opening of the Marondera Female Open Prison, where she was appointed patron.

She has ensured prisoners also benefit from free life-changing courses offered through the partnership between her Angel of Hope Foundation and the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU).

Amai Mnangagwa invited female deputy ministers, spouses of ministers and permanent secretaries, who accompanied her to the prison in support of her noble cause.

Amai Mnangagwa brought food, which she cooked together with her entourage and shared a meal with the inmates while strengthening them with words of encouragement and comfort.

The First Lady offered a motherly ear to various issues the women raised during the heart-to-heart discussion.

She also distributed goods like blankets, mealie meal, macaroni, sugar, petroleum jelly, washing soap, cooking oil, washing powder, fruit juice, rice, flour and salt to the prison for the benefit of inmates.

She further donated baby blankets and baby preparation kits to nursing and pregnant inmates.

Amai Mnangagwa taught the inmates many things. These were personal hygiene, how to care for children, how to nurture families, discipline and projects, among many other topics that complete a woman.

She also offered inmates an opportunity to name the income-generating projects they wished to do so that the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development could assist them.

The First Lady’s first port of call was the nursing mothers’ cell, where she interacted with the mothers and their newborn babies.

She encouraged the women to breastfeed their babies exclusively and to take good care of them.

She then proceeded to the kitchen to prepare lunch, where she was joined by other women.

Dr Mnangagwa told the women that she had come to strengthen them and to give them hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“I greet you all. It’s not my first time coming here. I still remember some of the faces while others I met completed their sentences and were freed. I did not come as a First Lady because it is just a title. I have come as a mother, grandmother to speak to you, my girls. I have come along with vamwe vanambuya whom I asked to accompany me,” she said.

“I have come to strengthen you that this is only a phase, which will come to pass. Some are deeply stressed, hence my decision to come and strengthen you,” she said.

She added: “I will soon send some teams working with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small, Medium and Enterprises Development to equip you with vocational training skills so that when you leave this place you will be an empowered woman.”

Amai Mnangagwa then called for a horseshoe sitting arrangement for hearty discussions.

“What is called a wholesome woman? What are the qualities of a good mother?” she asked.

In response, an inmate said a real woman was identified by decent dressing and how she walked, as well as dignity.

Amai Mnangagwa called the lady to demonstrate what she meant, which she did in a comic manner, leaving the gathering in stitches.

Dr Mnangagwa concurred with her on the qualities she raised and took time to teach the female inmates good manners that identified a woman.

She also touched on personal and good menstrual hygiene.

Amai Mnangagwa invited members of her entourage to also address the inmates.

Mrs Pauline Moyo, wife of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo, implored the women to be beacons of morality.

“Our mother said, after completing your sentences, do not return to prison; therefore, go out and become ambassadors of good morals. Your history of being jailed must strengthen you and become your stepping stone,” she said.

Mrs Priscilla Mangwana, wife of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Mr Nick Mangwana, also spoke about good morals and emphasised the importance of teaching children good norms and values.

She said even if the mother was in jail, she must pray for her children so that they do not follow that path.

Deputy Minister of Women Affairs Jennifer Mhlanga said the Second Republic, led by President Mnangagwa, had departments that were set up specifically for women.

“The ministry has a Community Development Fund. When released, find something to do. We have a fund set aside for skills training and we are ready to train you. You choose what you will be willing to do and we nurture that.

“We also have the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation (SMEDCO) for small to medium enterprises development. So, please come forward. Being jailed does not mean the end of the world. You can still be a better person in future; all you need is focus and to do constructive things,” she said.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona’s wife Sinodia spoke on the importance of consuming traditional dishes, which are nutritious and medicinal.

The First Lady asked the women the kind of projects they intended to embark on, and they mentioned fish farming, detergent making, piggery, sewing, beading, gardening and baking.

The women showcased some of their products from projects they are already undertaking behind bars.

The mother of the nation implored the women to form groups, in line with what they intended to do, as Ministry of Women Affairs personnel jotted down the names.

Amai Mnangagwa commended the inmates for their zeal to work.

Speaking on behalf of Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) Commissioner-General Moses Chihobvu, Assistant Commissioner Pamellah Kakwara, Commander, Chikurubi Maximum Prison Complex, said he appreciated the work Dr Mnangagwa was doing across the country.

“Your selfless efforts and determination, Amai, have also led us to today’s event, which event shall remain registered in our physical records, as well as our hearts and souls, that truly we have a loving mother of the nation. As a nation, we have embraced your work and the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service also embraces your visit to Chikurubi Female Open Prison with both hands.

“We are elated that you have not only come to ZPCS today, but you have also contributed immensely in seeing the establishment of the Marondera Open Female Correctional Institution. This is testament to your commitment, Amai, for the emancipation of women and the girl-child, despite that they wronged the society and they are behind bars,” he said.

The ZPCS management, Comm-Gen Chihobvu said, takes pride in the First Lady’s excellent contribution to the nation’s development agenda, whose efforts are geared towards attaining an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

“Despite that, the Constitution of Zimbabwe mandates us to protect society from criminal elements, which we do through incarceration of offenders and others required to be detained, as well as their rehabilitation, for integration back into society. As ZPCS, we cannot register positive outcomes without involvement of such kind-hearted people like Her Excellency, Amai Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa,” he said.

Mrs Gloria Tamanikwa, the officer-in-charge of the Chikurubi Female Prison, implored the inmates to put into practice all they had learnt.

“Let us do good things. Our mother loves us and you heard that she is pained by your presence here but she has come nevertheless knowing that the human mind is capable of doing good and bad. Amai, you are a good mother who excels in all she does. Whenever you come, Amai, your teachings are a valuable source. You imparted them with knowledge so that when they go out there, they will not come back and they will start doing good and even warn others against doing things that can land them in prison,” she said.

Mrs Nyarai Mavima, the wife of Professor Paul Mavima, the Minister of Skills Audit and Development, said it was critical for people to know their weaknesses, mistakes and work towards correcting them.

“Here at Chikurubi Female Prison, I am happy with what our mother has done. She has visited women who are jailed and taught them how to live, income-generating activities and norms. She has left a lot of goodies which are helpful to pregnant women, children’s clothes and other essential provisions. We are learning a lot from our mother, who is teaching us to use our hands, so that women know that even if they are jailed, it is just a passing phase. This is what she has come to teach the women. We, as spouses of ministers, have also learnt a lot, like the need to teach women to work and be helpful in the families. Even in cultural norms and values, we are learning. Some were saying they did not know about being respected by their spouses, but after the First Lady’s intervention, things have changed and there is now real love in their homes,” she said.

So touched were the inmates that they spoke glowingly about the mother of the nation’s visit.

Precious Ngirazi (33), who is serving time for fraud and is a master farmer in the prison, expressed her gratitude to the First Lady.

“I would like to thank the First Lady for visiting us here today. I wished to see her and I was so delighted today. Kunyangwe tiri muno muhusungwa, shoko remabasa avo ekusimudzira madzimai tinorinzwa. She is a free person who is not selective but loves us all. I was glad that she gave us time to explain to her some of the projects that we are undertaking. I am involved in gardening, where we grow different types of vegetables. We also have fishponds, where we will start keeping fish in September because fish is not farmed in cold seasons. The First Lady listened to all the things we do here and promised to bring us more projects,” she said.

Thandiwe Dube (50) echoed similar sentiments.

“I wish to thank our mother for always remembering us. She came here and cooked for us, but, most importantly, we have been taught how mothers must live. She urged us to behave well and to never get involved in criminal activities,” she said happily.

Precious Machivenyika (42) from Guruve could not hide her elation because of the food brought by the First Lady.

“I am thankful to our mother for bringing us food, while for our children, she has brought provisions like clothes and baby blankets. She also left us food to eat, and I wish to thank her for what she has done. We were taught that we are supposed to be self-sufficient and able to use our hands when released from prison. We were told to live well with others upon release because of the correction we are receiving from this facility,” she said.

Deputy Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Emily Jesaya was also present.