The failure by the government to improve the prison conditions has raised the concern of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs.
Chairperson of the Committee, Douglas Mwonzora, expressed concern over government’s reluctance to address the “terrible” state of prisons in the country. He said the Committee had engaged Parliament and the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs over the issue but no concrete action had been taken to address the matter.
“We did put our submission to the House (Parliament) and to the Ministry of Justice that there was need for an increased budget to deal with the terrible state of our prisons but unfortunately nothing has been done,” said Mwonzora.
Early last year, the Parliamentary Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs recommended that there was need for increased funding to the Zimbabwe Prison Services to improve such things as food, accommodation and transport for prisoners.
“We are trying to push our submission but we are simply being told that there is no money in the Treasury,” said Mwonzora.
Early last month, Silobela Member of Parliament, Amadi Sululu, told Parliament that the government was moving at a snail’s pace to improve prison conditions in the country.
Justice and Legal Affairs Minister, Patrick Chinamasa conceded that prison conditions in the country were deplorable and needed to be addressed.
“Throughout the year, I have been seeking more funding for the prisons from Treasury but there has been no joy. Instead, the budget for the prisons is being revised down. The prisons are dependent on the Treasury but they (Treasury) have not been giving us a positive response,” he said.
In its first report to Parliament in July last year, the Thematic Committee on Human Rights noted an acute shortage of basic requirements needed by prisoners such as toiletries, ablution facilities, water, food, as well as fuel needed to ferry prisoners to the courts.
The Committee recommended a substantive increase in budgetary allocation for the prison service.
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