10 Feb 2022

Botswana Prison Service has been lauded for contributing towards national food security and good nutrition improvement efforts.

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said this during a familiarisation tour of Molepolole Prison Farm yesterday.

He said the farm, which engages and trains prisoners in various agricultural activities including livestock rearing,  piggery, poultry, horticulture and agro-produce, was an example of hearkening to national priorities.

“I am delighted by your determination to align your rehabilitation efforts to national priorities as evidenced by the development of the Prison Food Security Strategy through which you desire to provide prisoners with skills in agricultural production whilst at the same time contributing to cost recovery as well as adding value to the country’s food basket,” Dr Masisi said.

He commended the organisation for increasing the size of hectorage farmed as well as the intention to introduce value addition strategies such as agro-processing. 

“It goes without saying that diversifying agricultural production is key. I therefore urge you to explore various sectors of agriculture such as dairy, small stock production, horticulture and aquaculture in all your prisons countrywide.

The Prison Services can play a vital role in milk production and processing to address local milk production, which falls far short of the national demand,” Dr Masisi said.

He expressed delight at the organisation’s plans to expand dairy production and the envisaged Lobatse rehabilitation centre project due to be delivered through the public private partnership (PPP) model.

The visit also afforded the President the opportunity to meet inmates.

He urged them to   remain hopeful, to take advantage of the training and safe custodial care offered by the prisons services to rehabilitate them into productive and law-abiding citizens.

Another speaker, Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Kagiso Mmusi said through the Botswana Prisons Services, his ministry wanted to achieve improved nutrition and food self-sufficiency within prisons and in the long term to contribute to the national food basket.

For her part prisons commissioner, Ms Dinah Marathe expressed gratitude for plans to rebrand the organisation as correctional services during the Parliament winter session.

 She thanked government for availing P95 million for the prisons’ digitisation programme and for supporting its  agricultural expansion efforts at the Molepolole, Mahalapye, Tshabong and Boro prisons.

Ms Marathe revealed that the organisation was looking into partnerning with other stakeholders including University of Botswana,  Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Science and eventually the private sector.BOPA