News / Local
Khami Prison now exam centre
04 Dec 2020 at 01:23hrs | Views
ZIMBABWE Prisons And Correctional Service, Bulawayo Metropolitan Province turned Khami Maximum Prison into an examination centre meant to benefit inmates advancing themselves academically while serving their jail terms.
This transformation was made in a bid to promote rehabilitation of inmates for their successful re-integration back into society upon completion of their terms.
A B-Metro news crew visited the prison institute to have a full appreciation of the examination centre and in the process had an opportunity to interview, Morgan Muchandisiye (43), who is an inmate, teacher and student preparing to sit for his Advanced Level examinations.
In an interview, Muchandisiye said the transformation of Khami Maximum Prison into an examination centre was an opportunity for him to transform into a productive citizen by advancing himself academically.
"When I came to prison for the first time it was on the 26th of October 2011 after I had been sentenced to 36 years in prison on charges of rape. On that very same day my sister, who is now late, visited me at Khami remand, where she took her time giving me the best advice on how to manage my time while in prison as 36 years was not a joke," he said.
Muchandisiye took his sister's advice seriously as he had only managed to pass one subject and with the little experience he gained as a school leaver he discovered that it was high time he re-aligned his life.
"When I sat for my Ordinary Level examinations for the first time in 1995 I was still immature and I was never serious with my school work. From the examination I sat for I only managed to pass one subject, Shona, with a C symbol. While as a school leaver I worked for a number of companies the remuneration was not that good.
"So with all those experiences I only gave myself two months to adjust to prison life at remand prison and in the third month I enrolled in a Form Three class even though my sister, who advised and promised to pay my examination fees had since passed on," he said.
Muchandisiye said even though the death of his sister dealt a huge blow to his life he never lost focus as he continued going to school and in the following year he managed to sit for two subjects out of seven that he was doing in class.
He said the two subjects that he sat for had been paid for by the then officer-in-charge Khami Remand, now Deputy Commissioner General Human Resource, Shephard Mpofu.
"When news filtered into my ears for the first time that my sister had passed on it was not easy as she was my pillar of strength in most of the things and as a way of comforting myself I told myself that I was going to fulfil the promise that I had made.
"I continued with my studies even if I did not have a source of funding to pay for my examinations. Out of seven subjects that I was doing I only managed to register two subjects, Accounts and Sociology.
This registration was made possible with the assistance of Deputy Commissioner General Mpofu and by then he was the officer in charge of Khami remand," he said.
Muchandisiye said from the two subjects he came out with flying colours and Deputy Commissioner General Mpofu was impressed such that he pledged to pay for the five subjects but due to the new regulations of Zimbabwe School Examinations Council he could not write as he did not have an identity card.
"Even though the five subjects had been paid for I could not sit for the examinations the following year due to unavailability of my identity card and that was later rectified by my relatives after two years," he said.
The inmate said he later wrote all the five subjects in 2017 and he managed to pass all the subjects as he had enough time to prepare for the examination and soon after he transferred to Khami Maximum Prison to be part of the teaching team.
"From the five subjects that I wrote I managed to pass all the subjects and they came out as follows Business studies-A, Economics-A, Science-A, English-B, MathsC. When I got those results I realised that it was time for me to move to Khami Maximum Prison to be a full-time teacher.
"The reason of moving was mainly to share the knowledge I gained in prison with both inmates and officers and I really would like to thank the authorities of Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service for allowing me to identify my talent and today I am proud of myself even if I am in prison," he said.
Muchandisiye said besides teaching he is pursuing his Advance Level education as he is aiming at attaining a degree in Banking and Finance as he now appreciates the value of education. The inmate said already he had written two subjects at Advanced Level and he passed both subjects with flying colours and these are Business Studies and Economics.
"As we speak I have written two subjects at Advanced Level and I managed to get the following symbols, A and B, respectively. I actually did not know I was gifted in class and I have only realised this talent now.
"To achieve this dream of earning a degree I am appealing for financial assistance from well-wishers and the corporate world that believes in giving inmates another chance in our society," he said.
The inmate said in making his combination complete he is likely to be sitting for his Accounts subject for him to be able to enrol with any university to achieve his dream.
"I am also appealing to the Government to consider us as inmates when it comes to employment because at the moment our constitution is saying those with criminal records cannot be employed under the public sector. That decision is making our re-integration very difficult as we are unemployable.
"The aim of rehabilitating inmates is to try and reduce cases of re-offending but as long as we still have such statutes then that will defeat the whole purpose of rehabilitating inmates," he said.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service's transformation into a correctional institution has seen inmates being afforded an opportunity to identify their talents in prison so that they can be used in developing our nation in different sectors.
This transformation was made in a bid to promote rehabilitation of inmates for their successful re-integration back into society upon completion of their terms.
A B-Metro news crew visited the prison institute to have a full appreciation of the examination centre and in the process had an opportunity to interview, Morgan Muchandisiye (43), who is an inmate, teacher and student preparing to sit for his Advanced Level examinations.
In an interview, Muchandisiye said the transformation of Khami Maximum Prison into an examination centre was an opportunity for him to transform into a productive citizen by advancing himself academically.
"When I came to prison for the first time it was on the 26th of October 2011 after I had been sentenced to 36 years in prison on charges of rape. On that very same day my sister, who is now late, visited me at Khami remand, where she took her time giving me the best advice on how to manage my time while in prison as 36 years was not a joke," he said.
Muchandisiye took his sister's advice seriously as he had only managed to pass one subject and with the little experience he gained as a school leaver he discovered that it was high time he re-aligned his life.
"When I sat for my Ordinary Level examinations for the first time in 1995 I was still immature and I was never serious with my school work. From the examination I sat for I only managed to pass one subject, Shona, with a C symbol. While as a school leaver I worked for a number of companies the remuneration was not that good.
"So with all those experiences I only gave myself two months to adjust to prison life at remand prison and in the third month I enrolled in a Form Three class even though my sister, who advised and promised to pay my examination fees had since passed on," he said.
Muchandisiye said even though the death of his sister dealt a huge blow to his life he never lost focus as he continued going to school and in the following year he managed to sit for two subjects out of seven that he was doing in class.
He said the two subjects that he sat for had been paid for by the then officer-in-charge Khami Remand, now Deputy Commissioner General Human Resource, Shephard Mpofu.
"When news filtered into my ears for the first time that my sister had passed on it was not easy as she was my pillar of strength in most of the things and as a way of comforting myself I told myself that I was going to fulfil the promise that I had made.
"I continued with my studies even if I did not have a source of funding to pay for my examinations. Out of seven subjects that I was doing I only managed to register two subjects, Accounts and Sociology.
Muchandisiye said from the two subjects he came out with flying colours and Deputy Commissioner General Mpofu was impressed such that he pledged to pay for the five subjects but due to the new regulations of Zimbabwe School Examinations Council he could not write as he did not have an identity card.
"Even though the five subjects had been paid for I could not sit for the examinations the following year due to unavailability of my identity card and that was later rectified by my relatives after two years," he said.
The inmate said he later wrote all the five subjects in 2017 and he managed to pass all the subjects as he had enough time to prepare for the examination and soon after he transferred to Khami Maximum Prison to be part of the teaching team.
"From the five subjects that I wrote I managed to pass all the subjects and they came out as follows Business studies-A, Economics-A, Science-A, English-B, MathsC. When I got those results I realised that it was time for me to move to Khami Maximum Prison to be a full-time teacher.
"The reason of moving was mainly to share the knowledge I gained in prison with both inmates and officers and I really would like to thank the authorities of Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service for allowing me to identify my talent and today I am proud of myself even if I am in prison," he said.
Muchandisiye said besides teaching he is pursuing his Advance Level education as he is aiming at attaining a degree in Banking and Finance as he now appreciates the value of education. The inmate said already he had written two subjects at Advanced Level and he passed both subjects with flying colours and these are Business Studies and Economics.
"As we speak I have written two subjects at Advanced Level and I managed to get the following symbols, A and B, respectively. I actually did not know I was gifted in class and I have only realised this talent now.
"To achieve this dream of earning a degree I am appealing for financial assistance from well-wishers and the corporate world that believes in giving inmates another chance in our society," he said.
The inmate said in making his combination complete he is likely to be sitting for his Accounts subject for him to be able to enrol with any university to achieve his dream.
"I am also appealing to the Government to consider us as inmates when it comes to employment because at the moment our constitution is saying those with criminal records cannot be employed under the public sector. That decision is making our re-integration very difficult as we are unemployable.
"The aim of rehabilitating inmates is to try and reduce cases of re-offending but as long as we still have such statutes then that will defeat the whole purpose of rehabilitating inmates," he said.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service's transformation into a correctional institution has seen inmates being afforded an opportunity to identify their talents in prison so that they can be used in developing our nation in different sectors.
Source - bmetro
