By NOXOLO DLAMINI
ZAMBIA – Agriculture is emerging as a key tool for rehabilitation, self-sufficiency and sustainable correctional management as Officers-in-Charge from across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region continue sharing practical approaches to improving correctional services.
The Officers-in-Charge were exposed to Zambia’s correctional agricultural initiatives during a tour of Mwoboshi Correctional Farm in Lusaka, held as part of the 2026 SADC Officers-in-Charge Peer-to-Peer Interaction Workshop.
The visit provided the regional delegation with an opportunity to observe how correctional agriculture can contribute to food production while equipping inmates with practical and marketable skills.
The delegation explored various aspects of the correctional farm, including agricultural production, resource utilisation, sustainability and the involvement of inmates in productive activities.
The initiative demonstrates how correctional facilities can go beyond confinement by creating opportunities for inmates to acquire skills that can support them during and after their release.
Through exposure to agriculture, inmates can gain practical experience that may contribute to self-reliance and improve their prospects of productive reintegration into their communities.
The visit also created a platform for Officers-in-Charge from different SADC countries to exchange experiences and consider how agricultural initiatives can contribute to rehabilitation and the broader transformation of correctional systems.
The lessons from Mwoboshi Correctional Farm formed part of the broader objectives of the peer-to-peer workshop, which seeks to strengthen correctional practice through regional knowledge-sharing, innovation and practical experience.
The workshop is being held under the theme, “Transforming Correctional Systems for Sustainable Development: Promoting Agriculture, Rehabilitation, Economic Empowerment and Community Resilience across the SADC Region.”
The agricultural component of the programme highlighted the potential for correctional institutions to contribute to food security, skills development and economic empowerment while preparing inmates for meaningful participation in society after incarceration.
#SADC #CorrectionalServices #MwoboshiCorrectionalFarm #Zambia #Rehabilitation #Agriculture #InmateRehabilitation #SkillsDevelopment #EconomicEmpowerment #SustainableDevelopment #SADC
