e’s prisons currently hold more than 6,500 inmates above their carrying capacity of 16,000 amid reports inmates were literally sleeping on top of each other.
While it was not possible to obtain comment from Zimbabwe Prison Services spokesperson Elizabeth Banda, prison wardens confirmed that children in prison with their mothers were suffering untold hardships, including psychological trauma.
A Parliamentary portfolio committee on Home Affairs and Defence recently slammed the appalling conditions in Zimbabwe’s jails, declaring it was “dehumanizing” to be jailed under such conditions.
Wardens spoke of a serious shortage of baby cereals and milk in the prisons.
Zimbabwe’s Prison Act prohibits the separation of the child from its mother until weaned, and this is the main reason why infants are in jail with their convicted mothers. Most mothers actually prefer having their children with them, but asked The Zimbabwean to mount an appeal to well wishers for food, clothing and other necessities for their babies.
15.2.2007
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500 toddlers in prison with mothers-(15-02-07)
HARARE - Close to 500 children, aged between one and four years, are currently living behind bars together with their convicted mothers in Zimbabwe's 42 overcrowded jails where there are acute shortages of food, clothing and other basic necessities.
The Zimbabwean was told this week that Zimbabw
The Zimbabwean was told this week that Zimbabw