Harare — Government will soon build secondary schools at all prison complexes for children of staff to cushion prison officers from paying high boarding fees for their children.

The director of Zimbabwe Prison Services Construction Unit Assistant Commissioner Gabriel Dube said this last Friday.

He was responding to a request by Tafara/Mabvuku district education officer in the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Mr Nelson Kapisa at a prize-giving day and official handover ceremony of two blocks of blair toilets to Chikurubi Prison Primary School by Lafarge Company.

"Plans are already at an advanced stage to build secondary schools and a high school in our prison camps to ensure that prison officers' dependants get the education they deserve at affordable fees and save them from walking long distances to the nearest schools. Some travel long distances to and from schools and in some instances commuting everyday.

"This decision has been made after we realised that our officers were facing challenges in paying boarding and school fees for their children," said Asst Comm Dube.

He said financial resources were derailing the project, which was expected to start next year.

ZPS plans to construct water reservoirs that would complement the already existing sources.

"The two boreholes that we have here cannot supply adequate water to this community, prisoners included, hence the need to sink more boreholes that would feed the tanks," he said.

Mr Kapisa requested the Commissioner of Prisons, Retired Major General Paradzai Zimondi, to speed the building of secondary schools at prison camps.

"If other unformed forces have their own secondary schools, what stops you from building your own. You have the labour to mould bricks, teachers and the land," he said.

Lafarge managing director, Mr Jonathan Shonhiwa, said his company was committed to helping Chikurubi Prison and its school.

"On behalf of the company, I would like to appreciate the symbiotic relations that exist between our organisations and had it not been your support, it could have been difficult for us to operate within your boundaries," he said.