Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) Commissioner General Dr Moses Cyril Ngawaite Chihobvu has been appointed to the Board of the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA), marking a historic milestone for the country’s correctional system.
The four year appointment was announced during the ICPA Annual Conference held in Istanbul, Türkiye, where Dr Chihobvu is leading the Zimbabwean delegation.
His inclusion on the global board places Zimbabwe among key players in shaping international correctional and rehabilitation policies, a development hailed as a major achievement not only for the nation but for the Southern African region as a whole.
Dr Chihobvu’s recognition comes in a week of significant progress for the ZPCS. The service recently received a broadcasting licence from the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), paving the way for the launch of a radio station at Chikurubi Maximum Prison, the first of its kind in the country’s history. The platform is expected to enhance public awareness campaigns and strengthen rehabilitation programmes within correctional facilities.
Zimbabwe’s correctional reforms have also earned regional attention through model projects such as the Marondera Female Open Correctional Institution, which promotes rehabilitation and social reintegration of inmates.
At the Istanbul conference, the ZPCS delegation presented a paper titled “Reimagining Juvenile Justice: Upholding the Nelson Mandela Rules for Effective Rehabilitation,” highlighting Zimbabwe’s commitment to humane and transformative correctional practices.
Dr Chihobvu’s appointment underscores the ZPCS’s growing international footprint and commitment to professional excellence within the global corrections fraternity.