30 ZPCS officers graduate

AT least 30 Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officers graduated with certificates in Management and Leadership Development on Saturday in Harare.

Among those who graduated 12 were female, drawn from ZPCS’ 10 administrative provinces.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony, ZPCS Commissioner-General Major-General (Retired) Paradzai Zimondi said training was an integral part of human resource development in all organisations.

He said training was also the cornerstone of effective management because it made employees more efficient and productive, thereby enhancing both organisational output and outcome.

“The ZPCS continues to invest in staff by running such important training programmes,” said Comm-Gen Zimhondi.

“In the same vein, the graduands’ training programme was ably crafted with the view to embrace and support the ZPCS’ transformation thrust.

“To buttress this transformation agenda, it is also pleasing to note that the programme is designed to equip the trainees in their capacity as ZPCS’ middle managers with the appropriate and necessary knowledge and skills that help in both facilitating and promoting the international best practices in prison management.”

The Management and Leadership Development course content covered areas that included Administration of Prisons, Understanding Corrections and Law, Security Issues in Prisons, Counselling and Human Resources Management.

Comm-Gen Zimondi commended the ZPCS provincial commanders for despatching their duties by identifying and seconding the right candidates for training.

“Given the provincial commanders’ support, we can safely say it’s now mission accomplished, hence as graduands you are now destined to go back to your respective work stations fully-equipped for your duties in spite of some challenges that you could have encountered during the training,” he said.

The officers graduating officers were the third group following the inception of the staff development training programme.

Comm-Gen Zimondi said he was confident that the graduands were now equipped with the requisite skills that made it easier for them to discharge their duties to the expectations of the organisation.

The graduation ceremony was attended by the Principal Assistant Commissioner Jethro Nyathi, Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Virginia Mabiza and other dignitaries.