WHILE Zimbabwe men chess team bask in glory of its recent Budapest 45th Olympiad podium finish, an inspiring story is in play within the confines of correctional facilities across the country.
Online Intercontinental Chess Championships for Prisoners, will take place from 8-11 October 2024, with inmates representing Zimbabwe internationally.
Deputy Commissioner General Social Ndanga, during a visit to Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, emphasised the significance of this initiative.
“Chess has the potential to help inmates make more calculated choices in their lives. Participating in tournaments such as the Online Intercontinental Chess Championships for Prisoners goes a long way in preparing offenders for their lives after prison, ” Ndanga said.
For inmates like Leo Matibe, serving a life sentence at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, the opportunity to compete in these events is life-changing.
“The generous support from the corporate world, particularly Minerva Risk Advisors, which donated chess equipment for use by inmates, has had a huge impact on our preparations and allowed us to compete at a higher level,” Matibe said.
Zimbabwe’s inmates made headlines in 2021 when they won a silver medal in the inaugural event, narrowly missing out on the top spot to Mongolia.
Female inmate Nompumelelo Vusa, serving time for fraud, expressed her excitement and hope to one day emulate Zimbabwe’s female chess players.
“Chess is more than just a game; it teaches us to think carefully about every move, both on the board and in life,” Vusa explained.
The Zimbabwe Chess Federation (ZCF), in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS), is ensuring that inmates are adequately prepared and supported for the competition.
Through chess, inmates develop critical thinking, patience, and the ability to plan ahead essential skills for reintegration into society after their release.
Both male and female inmates are honing their skills, determined to bring pride to the nation once more. The ZPCS recognises the importance of providing inmates with opportunities like these, which go beyond the traditional scope of rehabilitation.
The Online Intercontinental Chess Championships for Prisoners availed this opportunity inmates as a platform to change perceptions, showing the national that transformation is possible, even from behind prison walls.
Such efforts, supported by the Zimbabwe Chess Federation, ZPCS, and corporate sponsors like Minerva Risk Advisors, demonstrate the limitless potential that lies within each individual, regardless of their past.
