Mbabane: Inmates will now sleep in new blankets as the Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE) has donated 2 000 blankets worth E637, 800.00 to His Majesty’s Correctional Services.
The donation was handed over by the Central Bank of Eswatini Deputy Governor Felicia Dlamini in an event held at the Central Bank in Matsapha.
The deputy governor said the made the donation was in response to the emergency of COVID-19 pandemic and to the need of providing urgent support to inmates. She said the bank saw it fit that it becomes part of ensuring the effective preparedness, prevention and control of COVID-19 in prisons.
Announcing the donation she said, “Today, we are here to donate 2000 blankets, amounting to E637, 800.00”. These donations she said, are aimed at supporting the commitment of the bank in supporting disaster relief programmes under its Corporate Social Investment Programme – in this case in the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 amongst persons deprived of their liberty, in accordance with the World Health Organization guidelines in relation to the pandemic.
She highlighted that there were many stakeholders that have been affected by the pandemic, but what is critical is that business, including the country’s regulators and other institutions like the Central Bank meet government halfway in ensuring the successful fight against COVID-19.
“Beyond this, every effort must be made that proper levels of awareness, understanding and knowledge on the pandemic are achieved, so that fighting the pandemic may be realistically accomplished”.
“The donations were made following requests from the Correctional Services Commissioner and prison administrators. We are hoping that we will collectively continue to hold hands in the fight against the pandemic as it looks like it will be around for a while, forcing us to live under new conditions than the ones we are used to”.
Making her remarks Correctional Services Commissioner General Ms. Lamakhosini Phindile Dlamini said the donation came at a very difficult time within the correctional services as the department continues to be allocated a very minimum budget to cater for the daily operations yet on the other hand we are constantly experiencing high volumes of new admissions.
She said the kind gesture will surely go a long way in showing inmates that society loves and still needs them as reformed and law abiding citizens. She thanked the central bank for restoring a sense of humanity and dignity to offenders by donating the blankets.
“We are fully aware that the Bank has its own defined areas of social investment, as outlined in its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Policy. These are community and health programmes, financial education in primary schools, high schools and tertiary institutions.
However, we are very grateful that in the midst of these programmes, the Bank has remembered us through the donation of 2000 blankets. This donation demonstrates and reaffirms that indeed the Bank is also part of our society and strives by all means to improve the lives of many Emaswati.
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