• Source: Zomba Central Prison

Zomba Central Prison is a referral national prison in Malawi. It is the biggest prison in Malawi. In January 2024, the prison was moved to Lilongwe.




History






= Formation

=
Zomba Central Prison was built in 1935 during the British colonial era in Malawi (then known as Nyasaland). It was designed to hold 340 prisoners and was intended to serve as a maximum-security facility for the country.




= Facilities

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The prison has six cell blocks, including:

One for juvenile offenders
One for first offenders
Two for recurrent offenders
One for women
One for condemned prisoners
The prison also has facilities for prisoners to work and receive training, such as a workshop, a farm, and a tailoring shop.




= Zomba Prison Project

=
The prison is the location of the musical collaboration Zomba Prison Project, a 20-track compilation produced by Ian Brennan and his wife Italian photographer Marilena Umuhoza Delli and released in 2015 by Six Degrees Records featuring recordings of compositions and performances by inmates at the prison. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album, the first ever Grammy nomination by Malawian artists.
Brennan and Delli, returned to the prison twice more in 2016 to compile a second album titled I Will Not Stop Singing.




Notable inmates


Some notable inmates who have been held at Zomba Central Prison include:

Hastings Kamuzu Banda, the first President of Malawi, who was imprisoned by the British colonial authorities in 1959
Orton Chirwa, a politician and lawyer who was imprisoned for his opposition to Banda's government
Gwanda Chakuamba, a politician and opposition leader who was imprisoned for his political activities




Challenges


The prison has faced numerous challenges, including overcrowding, poor sanitation, and inadequate food and medical care for prisoners. In recent years, there have been efforts to improve conditions and reduce overcrowding, but the prison remains one of the most notorious in Malawi.




References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Zomba Central Prison
• Zomba Prison Project
• Zomba, Malawi
• Malawi Prison System
• Malawi Prison Service
• Malawi Prison Band
• List of prisons
• Lilongwe Central Prison
• Mzuzu Central Prison
• Mwanza Prison