Botswana: The President, Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, has been impressed by the Botswana Prison Service’s (BPS) efforts to attain food security in Botswana Prison. The impression by the President was realized today during his visit to the Letlhakane Prison.
In his speech, President Masisi said that the Botswana Prison Service’s determination to transform the Service into a “Model Institution of Correctional Excellence” through the alignment of its business processes to national priorities deserves recognition. “I am informed that you have successful initiatives such as the development and implementation of the Prison Food Security Strategy, through which you desire to provide prisoners with skills across the agricultural sector while.”
He added that the Strategy will drive cost recovery initiatives and also contribute towards the national food basket. According to President Masisi, the Food Security Strategy also provides opportunities for inmates to venture into modern agriculture, with great emphasis on the use of modern farming technology and appropriate animal husbandry practices.
President Masisi also urged Commissioner of Prisons Dinah Marathe and her team to keep devising innovative ideas and continue their diligent work towards cost containment. “I am reliably informed that the Prison Service is now self-sufficient in vegetable production and is moving towards meeting the demand for chicken within prisons. This is commendable, and I encourage you to keep up the good work.”
The President also hailed the first National Reintegration Conference by the Botswana Prison Service as a significant achievement. “Let me hasten to indicate that the event stood out as one of the major successes of the Botswana Prison Service, a splendid event that reflected your determination to instil a sense of excellence in implementing national assignments.”
In her welcome remarks, the Commissioner of Prisons, Dinah Marathe, indicated that Botswana Prison Service is running with the strategic theme “Building a High-Performance Culture: Repositioning, Re-Aligning and Re-engineering the Prison Service to achieve its mandate”.
“Sir, this theme calls on all members of the Prison Service to introspect and relook at the way we have been doing things with a view to come up with better and improved interventions to deliver on our mandate effectively.”
Commissioner Marathe conveyed gratitude to the Government of Botswana for the unwavering support offered to the Prison Service as signified by the resourcing of the Service.
She highlighted that the support enabled them to undertake developments that include, amongst others:
• establishment of a Rehabilitation Centre at Lobatse and Prisons Headquarters,
• relocation of Kasane Prison to Pandamatenga,
• construction of prisoner accommodation and staff houses at Sepopa Prison,
• Construction and renovation of staff houses at various stations,
• drilling of boreholes across our prison farms,
• construction of a milking parlour at Molepolole Prison Farm, as well as procurement and installation of surveillance cameras at various stations.
During his visit to the Letlhakane Prison, he visited the kraals vegetable gardens, dairy cows and small stock.
Meanwhile, President Masisi paid a courtesy call to the Letlhakane Prison inmates. In his remarks, President Masisi indicated that he can attest that the Botswana Prison Service is doing a good job of caring for the inmates.
The inmates’ representatives expressed delight at President Mindset Change initiative and the reintegration programme. “Sir, we are grateful for your mindset change initiative and the reintegration programme. We have since changed, and we request you to consider reducing our time here.”