NEW MWEMBESHI PRISON TO OPEN SOON – A RELIEF OR ANOTHER BAND-AID ON A DEEP WOUND?

The FOX Newspaper
The long-awaited New Mwembeshi Correctional Facility in Chilanga District is finally set to be commissioned before the year ends, according to Home Affairs Minister Jack Mwiimbu.

Built through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with Mukuyu Ventures Limited, the state-of-the-art prison was completed back in July last year. But here we are, almost a year later, and it’s still empty.

DECONGESTION OR JUST REARRANGING THE CHAIRS?
Zambia’s prisons are bursting at the seams—over 29,000 inmates crammed into facilities designed for 10,000. The government is betting on the New Mwembeshi facility to ease this crisis, but will it be enough?

Speaking after his tour today, Minister Mwiimbu admitted the congestion is a serious problem, and this new facility is just one step towards fixing it.
But let’s break it down: The new prison can only hold 1,800 inmates. That’s just 6% of the total overcrowded population. A relief? Yes. A real solution? You decide.

READY, BUT NOT REALLY READY
Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS) boss Fredrick Chilukutu says 73 officers have already moved in, and all staff houses are occupied. But inmates? They won’t be transferred until August—four months from now.
Oh, and those bunk beds? Still on the way.

WHAT’S INSIDE THE NEW PRISON?
• 28 dormitories (52 inmates per dorm)
• 8 classrooms
• A library
• A chapel
• 2 clinics
• A kitchen
• Office blocks
• 66 staff housing units

The facility will accommodate male, female, and juvenile inmates.

SO, WHAT’S NEXT?
With inmates yet to be moved, the official commissioning still months away, and the prison system still overstretched, one thing is clear: This is just a band-aid on a deep wound until it is realized.