The Southern African Development Community (SADC) conducted a capacity-building workshop focused on peacebuilding and strategic management in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on 3 – 7 March 2025. This workshop was supported by the European Union (EU) under the Enhancing the Capability and Effectiveness of the SADC Peace and Security Architecture (ECESPA) programme, which focuses on capacity building programmes and mainstreaming gender into peace and security operations, with a focus on conflict prevention and resolution.
The workshop aimed to enhance the skills and capacity of the Zimbabwean Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS), focusing on peacebuilding and strategic management. The event was attended by senior correctional officers from various administrative provinces across the country.
The primary objective of the workshop was to equip correctional services with strategic leadership skills, and knowledge of gender mainstreaming, human security, and peacebuilding. It also aimed to improve their understanding of policies and guidelines and to support the implementation of offender rehabilitation and reintegration programmes.
Dr. Moses Cyril Ngawaite Chihobvu, Commissioner General for Zimbabwean Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS), emphasised that the workshop was a strategic initiative designed to enhance collaboration among staff and provide essential skills to address the complex challenges facing the correctional system. He urged officers to remain steadfast in their duties, enhancing leadership skills in managing prisons and correctional facilities. Dr. Chihobvu highlighted the importance of safeguarding prison operations, particularly in rehabilitation, reintegration, security and human rights, which demand bold thinking and innovation. He stressed the significance of gender equality and human rights protection within the corrections/prisons framework, advocating for an integrated gender-sensitive approach to policies, procedures, and practices.
Ms. Kealeboga Moruti, Senior Officer for Public Security at the SADC Secretariat, commended the Zimbabwean government for its efforts to enhance correctional services by empowering its workforce with essential knowledge and skills. She highlighted the workshop's purpose of raising awareness of the role of corrections, prisons, and penitentiary services in peace and security architecture, particularly in Peace Support Operations (PSOs). Ms. Moruti outlined the workshop's agenda, which focused on strengthening continental, regional, and national legal frameworks, gender mainstreaming strategies, and human security issues in peacebuilding and conflict management.
As part of the capacity-building programme, the delegation from the SADC Secretariat toured the Mlondolozi Female Prison and Khami Maximum Prison to observe projects and programmes intended to support the rehabilitation and social reintegration of prisoners, including music, creative arts, leatherwork, and needlework initiatives.
