BUSINESS WRITER
Telecommunication entity, TelOne is targeting to plant 100 000 trees by end of next year to promote self-sufficiency and nutrition in the country’s prisons, the company’s managing director Chipo Mutasa said Friday.
She was speaking at Marondera Prison during a handover ceremony of 1000 fruit tree seedlings that were produced at Chikurubi Prison Farm.
Last year, TelOne supported Zimbabwe prisons nurseries and orchards project at Chikurubi Prison Farm where a variety of 10 000 seeds and seedlings were donated.
The nursery is now supporting self-sustenance and empowerment of prisoners through trainings.
TelOne environment intervention comes ahead of national tree planting day, this Saturday.
“We are pleased to note that the project has already started to take shape and pay dividends as we have been able to get all our seedlings from this year’s tree planting from Chikurubi farm nursery,” Mutasa said.
“Buoyed by such success at Chikurubi, we are pleased to announce that we have already started a process of expanding the nursery at Chikurubi. We want it to be big enough to continue to support our national tree planting programme where we are targeting to achieve at least 100 000 trees planted annually by December 2021.”
She said TelOne would investigate on how it could expedite the telephone and data connection of Marondera adding that the company was worried about the state of infrastructure vandalism.
“Our copper cables keep on being stolen. As you interact with inmates lets spread the word that we need to stop the stealing of copper cables so that all of us have connectivity,” Mutasa said.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) deputy commissioner General Alford Dube applauded the tree planting initiative saying it would generate income for the institution. “
By selling seedlings to other clients it will be a source of revenue for ZPCS.
Something fruitful is happening at Chikurubi Farm which has become a nursery hub and has started to produce seedlings.
Part of the tree seedlings have been planted here,” Dube said.
