27 Dec 2018

Warders have been urged to treat inmates with compassion and love during the festive season considering they are the only close family they have while serving their sentences.

Speaking during the presentation of Christmas hampers to inmates at both maximum and adies prisons in Gaborone on Christmas Eve, First Lady Neo Masisi said inmates should be accorded love and compassion to give them a sense of community and belonging.

She said she was aware that inmates missed their families while incarcerated hence the need to cheer them up.

She pleaded with inmates to use their time in prison productively as an opportunity to correct their mistakes and equip them with skills and knowledge that would be put to good use once they  completed their sentences.

Ms Masisi said inmates had different talents and it was therefore up to them to take advantage of the programmes they were availed to empower themselves and prepare for better livelihoods outside prison.

For his part, Botswana Prison Services Commissioner  Silas Motlalekgosi applauded the first lady for the kind gesture and goodwill of finding it necessary to come and share such exceptional moments with the inmates.

“We are humbled as the prison’s service that you took time out of your busy schedule to come and grace us with your presence here at prison during this festive season. We are happy and this is a special moment as you are the mother of the nation,” he said.

Mr Motlalekgosi indicated that there were 23 prison facilities in the country with two being the ladies’ prisons in Gaborone and Mahalapye.

He said there were currently 4 113 inmates in the country, 127 of them being women.

Speaking on behalf of the inmates, a representative from the ladies’ prisons, said she and her fellow prisoners were humbled to have the First Lady visit them and cheer them up with some of the necessities that they lacked, particularly toiletry.

The hampers, she said were welcomed as a good sign that inmates were also part of the society.

She vowed that they would fully give back to the community upon their prison release. ENDS