Prisons run out of fuel

THE wheels of justice ground to halt countrywide last week after the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) failed to transport inmates to the different courts.

Bulawayo High Court and regional courts failed to sit on Thursday and Friday because prisoners failed to attend court.

Court officials had to advise relatives of inmates who had come for court hearings that the courts were not sitting.

ZPCS Acting Public Officer Superintendent Priscilla Mthembo said the ZPCS was facing challenges in procuring fuel countrywide.

She said the problem was being attended to and the situation was likely to improve this week. "Prisons countrywide are facing challenges in procuring fuel and as such they could not ferry prisoners to the different courts last week. We communicated with respective courts and arrangements were made to remand the prisoners in absentia," said Supt Mthembo.

She said Government was seized with the challenge and measures were being put in place to address the problem and was confident the situation will be back to normal countrywide this week.