BULAWAYO – Former Deputy Finance Minister, Terrence Mukupe, who was convicted of fraud and sentenced to three years in jail, is now teaching Commerce to fellow inmates.
Speaking to the Herald newspaper during the Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services’ Inmates Family Week at Khami Maximum Prison in Bulawayo on Thursday, Mukupe said he has been sharing his expertise in finance and mathematics with others.
“We have educational facilities here at Khami and being a Maths and Finance fundi, I have a group of inmates that I’m teaching the commerce subject,” he said.
“These days everyone aspires to be an entrepreneur and I find people coming to me and asking for advice on entrepreneurship and the things that they can do out there when they are released. So, I impart those skills that I have to my fellow inmates.”
Mukupe also expressed his surprise at the facility’s focus on rehabilitation and the sense of brotherhood among inmates.
Mukupe has also offered words of advice, urging people to stay on the right side of the law.
“I think Khami is the blueprint that should be used when talking about correctional facilities in the country.
“Everyone has really been professional, and it’s evident from the health of the inmates that their wellness is important here,” he added.
“The one thing that will surprise people about this place is the brotherhood that you get at Khami; everyone is treated the same. So, there are no issues to do with the social standing that one held out there before coming to this prison.
“We’re all treated the same way and the rights that every prisoner is entitled to are respected, regardless of who the inmate is.
“This is not a place that I wish anyone to be in. So, my advice is that it’s always right and proper to stay on the right side of the law and just basically live a straightforward life,” Mukupe said.
He also emphasised the importance of family support for those incarcerated, saying, “My 86-year-old grandmother came all the way from Harare to visit me”.
“The biggest advice I would also give is for people to stay true to God, uNkulunkulu ulamandla. Family is everything, I know some brothers here who have gone for eight years without a visitor and you can tell that it affects them mentally.
“I would urge people out there with a friend or relative in prison to make time and visit them no matter what crime they committed because rehabilitation starts with family accepting you as you are.
“My 86-year-old grandmother came all the way from Harare to visit me and one can imagine what that gesture does for my mental well-being. It makes me feel that I’m still human and that I have got people that love me,” he said.
Mukupe was, last year, sentenced to three years in prison by the High Court after being convicted of fraud. Initially, Mukupe was given a three-and-a-half-year sentence, with six months suspended on condition of good behavior, resulting in an effective three-year term.
He was also fined US$2,780, with the risk of serving an extra two years if the fine is not paid.
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