04/08/2026
๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐จ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฆ๐ช๐๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ฆ๐ง
๐ฌ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ด๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ โ Every bag of maize harvested, every kilogramme of vegetables produced and every hectare cultivated at Botswana Prison Service farms tells a story of rehabilitation in action. It is proof that the money invested in offender rehabilitation is not merely an expenditure, but a national investment that is producing skilled citizens, reducing Government expenditure and strengthening Botswana's food security.
Officiating at the Botswana Prison Service Harvest Day held at Molepolole Prison Farm today, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Hon. Ramaotwana Nelson Ramaotwana, said rehabilitation programmes are yielding tangible returns for the country. He described agriculture as one of the Botswana Prison Service's most effective rehabilitation tools, equipping offenders with practical skills while supporting Government's drive towards food security, economic diversification and sustainable development.
The Minister said rehabilitation is ultimately about restoring lives and building safer communities. He noted that inmates who acquire vocational skills and receive psychosocial support stand a better chance of returning to society as responsible, productive citizens capable of supporting themselves and their families.
He revealed that during the 2025/2026 farming season, prison farms produced 3,000 bags of maize, 368 bags of sorghum and 147 bags of beans, which have since been processed into maize meal, samp, sorghum meal and packaged beans. The combined value of these grain products exceeds P1.4 million.
In addition, prison farms harvested 36,110 kilogrammes of vegetables, 3,542 kilogrammes of citrus fruits and 20,000 kilogrammes of livestock feed, bringing the total value of the season's harvest to more than P2 million. The Minister said these achievements have significantly reduced the cost of inmate rations while contributing meaningfully to Botswana's national food production efforts.
He further encouraged the Botswana Prison Service to embrace smart agriculture by adopting modern farming technologies and climate-resilient practices that improve productivity while preparing offenders for employment and entrepreneurship after release.
The Minister also commended the Botswana Prison Service's growing collaboration with partners such as SEEDCo Botswana and the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture. He said these partnerships continue to strengthen agricultural production through improved seed varieties, technical expertise and knowledge transfer, enabling prison farms to achieve higher yields despite changing climatic conditions.
Earlier, welcoming guests to Molepolole, Kgosi Kgari Sechele III said the event clearly demonstrates that prisons have evolved beyond places of punishment into centres of learning, productivity and personal transformation.
He said Botswana must continue investing in agriculture if it is to become self-sufficient in food production. He noted that inmates who acquire agricultural skills while serving their sentences leave prison with knowledge that enables them to support themselves, feed their families and contribute positively to their communities.
Presenting an overview of the day, Commissioner of Prisons - Commissioner Anthony Mokento said the Service remains committed to delivering its mandate through three complementary pillars: safe custody, rehabilitation and reintegration.
Commissioner Mokento explained that agriculture forms an integral part of the Service's Skills Development Programme and the Botswana Prison Service Food Security Strategy. He said inmates receive practical agricultural training alongside treatment, care and character development programmes designed to prepare them for meaningful reintegration into society.
"๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐บ๐๐๐พ๐ ๐บ๐๐พ ๐๐พ๐๐๐
๐พ-๐ผ๐พ๐๐๐๐พ๐ฝ ๐บ๐๐ฝ ๐๐๐บ๐
-๐๐๐๐พ๐๐๐พ๐ฝ. ๐ณ๐๐พ ๐๐
๐๐๐๐บ๐๐พ ๐๐ป๐๐พ๐ผ๐๐๐๐พ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐พ ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐พ๐๐ฝ๐พ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐
๐พ๐บ๐๐พ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐พ๐ฝ ๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐พ ๐๐พ๐บ๐ผ๐พ๐ฟ๐๐
, ๐๐๐๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐พ ๐บ๐๐ฝ ๐
๐บ๐-๐บ๐ป๐๐ฝ๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐พ๐," the Commissioner states.
This year's harvest was achieved from more than 260 hectares cultivated across prison farms nationwide. Molepolole Prison once again led maize production with 2,100 bags harvested from 67 hectares, while other prisons also recorded notable yields in sorghum, beans and vegetables, reflecting the growing contribution of correctional agriculture to national food production.
One of the highlights of the day was the presentation of awards by Assistant Minister of State President, Defence and Security, Honourable Maipelo Mophuting Dikoloti, who recognised outstanding performance in agriculture, industries and education. Winning prisons received floating trophies, certificates and cash prizes for excellence in crop production, vocational industries and inmate education. Among the winners, Molepolole Prison retained top honours in maize production and best quality maize, while Mahalapye, Tshane, Gaborone Boys, Francistown and other prisons were recognised across various categories.
The Assistant Minister later unveiled the 2026 harvest before officially handing over livestock feed to the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, symbolising the Botswana Prison Service's growing contribution to national agricultural production and Government's broader food security agenda.
Guests later toured the prison farm under the guidance of the Deputy Commissioner Keneilwe Mokwenaotsile, where they observed mechanised farming, crop production and other rehabilitation projects that continue to equip offenders with practical skills for life beyond prison.
The event was also attended by former Commissioners of Prisons Bernard Lekoko, Joseph Orebotse and Herman Kau, retired Deputy Commissioners, retired senior prison officers, senior government officials, heads of parastatals, development partners and other stakeholders.
