The visit is in line with the ongoing collaboration between Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) and Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS). CG Murenzi, alongside other dignitaries and officials, attended the graduation ceremony of the second cohort of the Senior Management Development Course in Corrections (SMDCC). Among the 44 participants, five senior officers from the Rwanda Correctional Service completed the course, which focused on senior management and leadership in corrections.

The event took place at Chikurubi Dam View and was graced by Zimbabwe’s Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Ziyambi Ziyambi. The ceremony was attended by several high-ranking government and national officials, underscoring the significance of the event.

This marks the first time that Rwandan officers have participated in the Senior Management Development Course in Corrections (SMDCC), which began in January 2024. The officers received several prestigious qualifications, including: a Senior Leadership and Management Medal in Corrections, a Diploma in Entrepreneurship and Leadership from Zimbabwe Open University, a Certificate in Prison Administration and Management from Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service Staff College, and a Basic Certificate in Ideology from Chitepo School of Ideology.

This milestone is a testament to Rwanda Correctional Service’s commitment, supported by the Rwandan government, to continuously improve correctional practices, share knowledge, and invest in staff training through regional and international cooperation.

As part of his official visit, CG Evariste Murenzi and his delegation are expected to undertake a benchmarking tour of the Marondera Female Open Correctional Institution and Mazoe Farm Prison. The purpose of these visits is to exchange best practices and experiences in the rehabilitation, reform, and reintegration of inmates through open-space prisons. This is especially relevant as Rwanda is preparing to establish halfway social reintegration centers in the near future.

This visit also highlights the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the governments of Rwanda and Zimbabwe on March 19, 2021, in Harare. The MoU focuses on collaboration in prison and correctional services, with areas including joint projects, staff training programs, information exchange, and educational tours.

In a bid to accelerate the implementation of this MoU, a benchmarking visit by Zimbabwe’s Commissioner General of Prisons, Dr. Moses Cryil Ngawaite Chihobvu, took place in Rwanda from March 5-11, 2023. During the visit, a key area of interest was the use of biogas in correctional facilities, a sustainable solution that significantly reduces government spending on prison operations.

Both countries are committed to further strengthening their cooperation to improve correctional services and achieve common objectives in the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates.

The five(5) RCS Senior Officers who graduated in SMDCC pause for a group photo with the RCS Officials and Amb.James Musoni after the graduation.

All the forty four(44) graduates in Senior management Development Course in Corrections including 5 Senior officers from RCS pause for a group photo with the Officials.