By Wellington Sibale

Neno, April 17, Mana: Malawi Prison Service (MPS) on Thursday handed over Luwani Prison facilities to the Neno District Council, marking the final phase in the decommissioning of the institution following the closure of the prison on May 13, 2024 as part of the government’s strategic relocation plan.

Deputy Commissioner of Prisons, Zacchaeus M’bawa, said the decision to close the prison was part of the strategic move to return what used to be a prison facility to the community to use it for a different purpose.

“We wanted to return the prison infrastructures to the community and we needed a proper handover. There is no prison here anymore as the inmates have been transferred to Mwanza Prison,” said M’bawa.

He said there was no pressing issue prompting the closure as the move to close the prison aligns with broader institutional plans.

According to M’bawa, the roofless houses on site will be handled by the District Commissioner’s office.

An inventory of the remaining infrastructure was handed over to the Council as part of the transition and this includes 2.5 hectares of farm land, residential blocks, office space and structures such as a tailoring shop, livestock enclosures and toilet facilities.

Neno District Council Director of Administration, Leonard Mchombo, thanked the MPS for facilitating a smooth transition.

He highlighted the council’s intention to repurpose the premises for community benefit.

“This facility will no longer serve as a prison. There is a police station, a hospital and even a school in the vicinity and we plan to use these buildings to support services that lack infrastructure.

“For instance, the facilities can be turned into a community day secondary school and we are considering converting some of these houses into classrooms,” Mchombo said.

Group Village Head Ngwenyama welcomed the closure of the facility saying the prison had offered little benefit to the surrounding community.

“We long believed the land could be put to better use such as farming. After all we have a prison in Mwanza,” he said.

Neno District Council in consultation with communities intends to maintain and utilize the former Neno Prison facilities for more activities per development aspirations of the communities.