food which is of nutritional value which must be adequate for health and strength and that it should be wholesome and well prepared and served. It also provides that drinking water should always be available. In addition, S.I 96/2012 provides for the minimum nutritional food that maybe served to inmates to include sadza, meat, sugar beans, vegetables, sugar, salt and porridge. However, due to budgetary constraints cited by the officials, inmates are fed a diet that is of limited nutritional value. The inmates get meals three times a day with porridge in the morning at 08:00 hours, lunch between 12:00-13:00 hours and supper from 15:3016:00hours, alternating sadza and beans or vegetables for lunch and supper. It was stated that due to economic hardships meat was not served as part of the diet and that it had been last served on Christmas and New Year’s Day. The garden was the main source of vegetables providing two types of vegetables mainly covo and spinach. However, there were allegations from inmates that the quality of food did not meet minimum standards as vegetables or sugar beans were usually served without cooking oil (See Fig. 4) which was last served in December 2015, and porridge served without sugar. Prisoners also reported that meat was not part of the diet they received. During group discussions, inmates raised that the food portions were small and inadequate and there was no room to ask for more. Prison officials stated that the budget apportionments that they were receiving were inadequate to cater for the ideal situation at the prison. They stated that they had been receiving some support from other organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Donors and Faith Based Organisations, among others. Prison officials indicated that in as much as the resources were not enough, the situation was generally manageable considering the state of the economy. An unusual matter that was flagged out in regards to food was a serious concern on the absence of special dietary requirements. This fall short of the requirements of S.49 of the Rules for the Protection of Juvenile which emphasizes the availability of special diets on medical grounds. The ZHRC team was advised that there was no special Page 11 of 21