05 Aug 2026

The Botswana Prison Service has recorded an agricultural harvest worth more than P2 million during the 2025/2026 cropping season.

The yield includes 3 000 bags of maize, 368 bags of sorghum, and 147 bags of beans, demonstrating how offender rehabilitation contributes to national food production and government cost savings.

Officially opening the Prison Harvest Day at Molepolole Prison on Tuesday, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Mr Nelson Ramaotwana said the total harvest, valued at P2,044,568, reflected the government’s continued investment in productive rehabilitation programmes.

These initiatives equip inmates with practical skills while strengthening the country’s food security.

The minister said the harvest also included 36,110 kilogrammes of vegetables, 3,542 kilogrammes of citrus fruits, and 20,000 kilogrammes of mixed livestock feed.

All of these products have been supplied to prison kitchens or prepared for use, significantly reducing government expenditure on prisoners’ upkeep.

Mr Ramaotwana stated that agriculture remained one of the Botswana Prison Service’s core rehabilitation programmes which provided inmates with vocational skills that enabled them to earn an honest living after completing their sentences while contributing to the country’s economic development.

He noted that Botswana could no longer rely solely on mineral exports and imported food, stressing that agriculture was central to achieving economic diversification and long-term food security.

The minister added that government was committed to increasing agriculture’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from below two per cent to more than six per cent by 2036 through the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme and National Development Plan 12.

He called on all Batswana to support the country’s drive towards modern, climate-resilient, and commercially competitive agriculture.

Mr Ramaotwana said the Prison Service had embraced climate-smart agriculture through improved seed varieties, mechanisation, efficient water use, drip irrigation, and sound soil management practices.

He noted that these initiatives not only increased productivity but also equipped inmates with marketable agricultural skills to enhance their successful reintegration into society.

He further revealed that the Botswana Prison Service had established 528 community reintegration committees across the country to support former inmates after their release.

As a result, the recidivism rate has declined to nine per cent, with only 45 of the 489 inmates who completed rehabilitation programmes during the 2025/2026 period returning to prison after committing new offences.

Earlier, Botswana Prison Service Commissioner Anthony Mokento said the harvest celebration recognised the important contribution correctional facilities made toward national food production while showcasing the success of offender rehabilitation programmes.

He stated that correctional services were built on three pillars: custodial services, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

Rehabilitation focuses on equipping offenders with practical and vocational skills to enable them to become productive citizens after serving their prison terms.

Commissioner Mokento said communities also had a responsibility to support former inmates after their release, citing several success stories of ex-offenders who have established businesses and were now employing others.

Among them is an elderly man who, after serving more than 30 years in prison, started a carpentry business and is now undertaking residential housing projects.

Similarly, former offenders in Francistown and Mahalapye have established businesses employing eight and six people respectively.

He said the Prison Service introduced the harvest celebrations after recognising the growing impact of its agricultural rehabilitation programme, noting that Molepolole Prison’s maize production has increased from about 600 bags in 2012 to more than 2,500 bags this year.

Commissioner Mokento stated that the Prison Service is utilizing every available piece of land to produce food for inmates while contributing to the national food basket. He expressed confidence that production would exceed 3,500 bags next year.

Seed Co Botswana representative Mr Dialwa applauded the partnership between the company and the Botswana Prison Service, saying it has transformed agricultural production at Molepolole Prison.

He noted that maize production has increased by 400 per cent, from 600 bags in 2012 to 2 500 bags, demonstrating both the fertility of Kweneng soils and Botswana’s potential to produce enough food to feed the nation.

Mr Dialwa said Seed Co had supplied the HC555 maize variety, which was specifically selected for its ability to withstand drought conditions while maintaining high yields.

Molepolole North Member of Parliament Mr Arafat Khan commended the Botswana Prison Service for its outstanding rehabilitation work and its contribution to agricultural production, saying the skills imparted to inmates would help them rebuild their lives after serving their sentences.

As part of the ceremony, Assistant Minister for State President, Defence and Security Ms Maipelo Mophuting-Dikoloti officially unveiled the prison harvest and handed over livestock feed produced by the Botswana Prison Service to the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture. ENDS