As part of his visit, CG Murenzi attended the graduation ceremony for the second intake of the Senior Management Development Course in Corrections (SMDCC) on December 6, 2024, at Chikurubi Dam View.
Among the 44 graduates were five senior RCS officers who completed the first-ever intake of this course for Rwanda.
The event, graced by Zimbabwe's Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, brought together high-ranking government officials and other dignitaries, including Rwanda's Ambassador to Zimbabwe, James Musoni.
The SMDCC, which began in January 2024, equipped Rwandan officers with skills in senior leadership and prison management. They earned diplomas in Entrepreneurship and Leadership from the Zimbabwe Open University, certificates in prison administration and management from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service Staff College, and a certificate in ideology from the Chitepo School of Ideology.
'This milestone reflects Rwanda's commitment to enhancing correctional best practices through regional and international collaboration,' CG Murenzi said.
During the visit, the Rwandan delegation is also scheduled to visit Marondera Female Open Correctional Institution and Mazoe Farm Prison. The facilities serve as models for inmate rehabilitation, reformation, and reintegration, particularly through open prison systems. The benchmarking will inform the establishment of halfway social reintegration centres in Rwanda, aimed at easing inmates' transition back into society.
The collaboration between Rwanda and Zimbabwe in corrections is anchored in a 2021 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Harare. The MoU outlines areas of cooperation, including joint projects, staff training exchange programs, and shared correctional innovations.
In March 2023, Zimbabwe's Commissioner General of Prisons, CG Dr. Moses Chihobvu, visited Rwanda for a benchmarking mission.
Among the highlights of the visit was Rwanda's use of biogas technology in correctional facilities, which significantly reduces operational costs. Dr. Chihobvu expressed interest in adopting this innovation in Zimbabwe as part of the ongoing bilateral engagements.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rcs-boss-in-zimbabwe-to-bolster-correctional-service-collaboration
