Undercover programme on Zimbabwe’s prisons to be aired tomorrow night on SABC TV3 (South Africa)
This Tuesday at 9.30pm SABC TV3’s investigative programme Special Assignment takes you into Zimbabwe’s prisons – which have become virtual death traps for prisoners.
This exclusive, never before been seen video images, were captured following an intensive three month investigation into the Zimbabwean prison system.
The officials filmed day-to-day events inside prison on hidden cameras. The result is a grim picture of a huge humanitarian crisis within the penal system.
Inside we meet a man who is half way through his two year sentence for housebreaking… and it seem unlikely that he will make if out of there. The camera follows him around as he shuffles from his cell to a room where he receives a bowl of sadza-a thick porridge made from maize meal. Like many others he is also suffering from pellagra-a deficiency disease caused by a lack of vitamin B3 and proteins.
According to a report by the Zimbabwean Association for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of the offender (ZACRO), at least 20 prisoners are dying each day across the country’s 55 institutions.
Some of the prisoners featured in the programme have already died and others, like the man mentioned earlier, are on the brink of death.
“Hell Hole” was produced by Executive Producer Johann Abrahams and Godknows Nare.
Please spread the word. Please continue to alert everyone to the food crisis in Zimbabwe’s prisons and ask people to do what they can to help.
March 30th, 2009 21:49
It would be very useful if this video was distributed to the Guardian and other publications over in the UK and elsewhere. Are there licensing restrictions or can a copy of this video be posted?
Visual images stir the Western world and unfortunately this media is a powerful tool to force change.
Thanks for your hard work as always, Sokwanele.
March 30th, 2009 22:30
The news out of Zim gets worse by the day. Thanks for this great site. Would love to watch this tv presentation but am no longer in SA. If anyone can put it on youtube please do so.
thanks
March 31st, 2009 03:11
Just looking at the picture and reading what the programme is about is SHOCKING! But, the world needs to know. Do you have any idea if people living out of Africa and don’t have access to SABC will be able to view the programme eg online?
March 31st, 2009 09:59
Please can you show this programme in the uk as well as many people here would love to see the honest truth happening in Zimbabwe. This would help a lot of Zimbabweans seeking asylum in the uk. thanks
March 31st, 2009 16:14
This is terrible !!!!
March 31st, 2009 16:49
This is totally appalling. I weep for you Zimbabwe.
March 31st, 2009 18:26
My friends who minister to ‘the least of these’ in the prisons of Zimbabwe have my greatest and utter respect. Thank you for breaking the awful, yet truthful, news.
March 31st, 2009 18:42
PLS SHOW THIS TO THE WHOLE WORLD WHAT IS MDC SAYING ABOUT THIS?
March 31st, 2009 23:02
This should be shown worldwide and the culprits should be dealt with by the tribunal in The Hague. There is no excuse for such human suffering .
April 1st, 2009 14:05
Having read this was bad, but having watched this atrocities on Tv last night was just the most awful experience ever. Thinking that ministers are turning their backs on humanity, prisoners or not, they are living beings with feelings and definately a human rights issue. Can this tv program be sent world wide and how can we here in SA help these poor souls ? This coalition government seem to not be working as Mugabe will carry on listening to himself only, and he just needs to go now and give the people with democratic mindsets the last possible chance to save this once most beautiful country with its beautiful people a chance of survival.
April 2nd, 2009 06:17
We need to have this movie distributed and aired on TV in all ‘Foreign Correspondent’ type time slots, worldwide.
A BBC article dated 1st April says the Zim Govt is now appealing for aid for the country’s prisons! But that they haven’t officially commented on the documentary.
Sorry, mate, no aid from me to the Zim Govt. Not that I don’t trust you personally, Morgan. It’s just that……………..
Sokwanele is however investigating to whom we can send aid dollars online, specifically for food to be delivered to the actual prisoners.
As soon as we have a green light, let’s get it rolling! Send the link we’ll be given to everyone you know, and assure them that this is a bona fide emergency request and response.
April 2nd, 2009 12:28
please post it on youtube.some of us wont get sabc coz of territorial location.
April 2nd, 2009 23:07
@Ozzie – Yes, the sooner food aid gets direct to the prisoners, the better, every day counts… blankets would also be good for the coming winter.
April 7th, 2009 12:36
I picked up a news article somewhere that due to the outcry caused, this programme is being re-broadcast tonight on SABC 3 at 8.30 (not 9.30)Tues 7April 2009.
Just in case anybody missed it last week.
January 31st, 2010 13:52
my sister is being held at bulawayo centralpolice even though she is not involved in the bank robbery that took place at a government bank, she has been beaten up(by two groups of seven people) she is innocent but the policemen involved have asked my mother for bribes so that she can be released or else they will make her look guilty by falsifying evidence against her in a court of law. if anyone is reading this please help us. we have already paid them the us$ 550 that they wanted but she is still being beaten up. we have no money but for our family we do whatever is necessary. we are a civilised people in an uncivilised country were the ones who are meant to protect us are the ones that hurt us. they use war tactics with the people who voted them into power
February 22nd, 2010 21:39
@ZiminLondon –
Yes this would be good.
The world needs to know the truth – the truth of this terrible human atrocity of often arresting innocent people and then beating them up and then putting in a such terrible places, appalling places as the gaols.
The world needs to know about this.
The leaders in other countries need to do something if they have an once of humanity in them.