By BRIANHATYOKA  –

SOUTHERN Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu has urged prison officers to participate actively and fully in  agricultural activities to mitigate poverty and hunger in Zambia.
Mr Mubukwanu said prison officers had a role in fighting poverty and consequently contributing to national development in their respective stations and regions through agricultural activities.
He said this in Livingstone on Friday evening in a speech read for him by Livingstone District Commissioner Omar Munsanje during the cultural exchange dinner between officers from the Zambia Correctional Service Southern Region and Botswana Prison Northern Division.
Earlier during the day, the two groupings hosted bilateral games in which Botswana emerged the overall winner.
Mr Mubukwanu said he was glad to hear that the Zambia Correctional Service Southern Region had embarked on farm expansion programmes and were diversifying their agricultural activities, which included cattle rearing.
He said the Zambia Correctional Service in the Southern Region could learn a lot from their Botswana counterparts, taking advantage of the proximity of the regions to each other.
“I, therefore, implore each one of you to utilise this forum and continue to learn from each other the best practices in relation to the management of penal institutions.
“Solutions to social problems can be solved at the table of social events like this one, and therefore, I urge you to share and exchange notes on various issues, “ Mr Mubukwanu said.
He said Zambia was committed to support the efforts of the Zambia Correctional Services.
“Most of you can attest to President Lungu ‘s support by the many changes that have taken place in the Service such as the elevating of the Commissioner of Prisons to Commissioner General, changing Zambia Prisons Service to a Correctional Service,” he said.
Zambia Correctional Service Regional commanding officer for Southern Province Damian Chiwela said the Service had acquired land to boost agricultural production in the region.
Mr Chiwela said plans were underway to mechanise and commercialise agricultural production.