Prisoners use Bible pages as toilet paper

via Prisoners use Bible pages as toilet paper – New Zimbabwe 03/04/2015

ZIMBABWE Prison and Correctional Services (ZPCS) spokesperson Chief Superintendent Elizabeth Banda has said relatives of prisoners serving time at Chikurubi Maximum prison should supply their loved ones with toilet paper as the institution is facing serious shortages.

The appeal follows reports that the inmates were now using bible pages as toilet paper and food riots which resulted in five inmates being shot dead with several others injured last month.

In an interview with Newzimbabwe.com, Banda said there was a shortage of toilet paper at Chikurubi.

“As you know that we are facing some cash flow challenges from the Treasury, this has affected the supply of most basic needs at all our institutions”.

“We therefore appeal to relatives visiting inmates to at least help by bringing in some tissues as this will go a long way in helping both the inmates and the ZPCS in general”.

Information gathered by Newzimbabwe.com has revealed that inmates are given a single roll of tissue every two weeks which is grossly inadequate.

“Prisoners are currently going for weeks without toilet paper to the extent that they are tearing blankets and pages from bibles to use as toilet paper,” said a Prison official who requested not to be named.

“In cells which had toilets, they are not secluded, therefore, denying prisoners privacy”.

There are no toilets in most of the cells with prisoners using buckets which emit unbearable pong.

To make matters worse, the flushing system in most of the toilets is dysfunctional with the sewer system blocked but still being used exposing prisoners to disease outbreaks.

Prisoners also spend weeks without bathing soap with their blankets going for months without being washed.

“The allocations for soap and other detergents are far below the required amounts and lack of adequate water for cleaning, cooking and bathing is exposing inmates to disease outbreaks.

“To worsen the situation, the Zimbabwe Prison Services had not been receiving monthly supplies of food on time”.

Days after the food riots VP Emmerson Mnangagwa told Parliament that Independent End Time Message church founder Robert Gumbura, serving 40 years for rape, was the mastermind of the chaos.

Mnangagwa also claimed that there was food to feed the prisoners.

But information shows that prisoners were angered by the daily supply of sadza and Royco soup.