The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services says massive starvation is looming in the country’s prisons as the authority is failing to give three meals per day to inmates.

ZPCS told the state media Wednesday that besides failing to feed inmates the prisons are now overpopulated by over 12 percent.

Acting ZPCS Commissioner General Rhodes Moyo says the organisation requires US$1.7 million per month to feed inmates with food worth US$2 a day per person.

The government is releasing US$650 000 per month leaving a deficit of over a million dollars every month, says the ZPCS Acting Commissioner General.

“If we are to feed each prisoner with standard food worth US$2 per person, we require US$1.7 million against a budgetary allocation of about US$650 000 per month from government,” said Moyo.

Acting Commissioner General Moyo added that the ZPCS has also tried to partner some local companies to venture into some income generating projects but with little success.

“We have tried to partner some local companies but most of them did not own up to kick start proposed businesses such as poultry among others,” he said.

The organisation is pinning its hopes on the capacitation of prison farms and introducing irrigation schemes.

Zimbabwe’s prisons have a population of 19 000 inmates against a holding capacity of 17 000.