Correctional Services Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has called on communities to refrain from sentencing offenders to indirect life imprisonment, ahead of annual corrections week from 26th September to 4th October 2013.
The Minister’s call was made on Friday (20th September) at a graduation ceremony for 302 inmates at the Leeuwkop Correctional centre in Gauteng. Addressing the graduation, the Minister said: “This year, Africa Corrections Day will be celebrated across the continent on 26th September.
In South Africa, we will commemorate annual corrections week from 26th September to 4th October under the theme: ‘Rehabilitation through Reading and Skills Development’. The aim of corrections week is to create awareness amongst communities, and other stakeholders, that corrections is a societal responsibility.
The emphasis is on communities taking responsibility for correcting offender behaviour, through foundation units in the family and community. When offenders have paid their dues to society and completed their sentences, please, as communities, let us not continue to, indirectly, impose a life sentence on them outside our correctional centres.
Let us stand together in the fight against stigmatisation of ex-offenders, and allow their full integration into society by not discriminating against them. “The Freedom Charter states ‘Imprisonment shall be only for serious crimes against the people, and shall aim at re-education, not vengeance’.
The transformation programme of our democratic government necessitated that prisons shift from institutions of humiliation to institutions of new beginnings. The White Paper on Corrections represents the final fundamental break with a past archaic penal system.
Prisons are now correctional centres of rehabilitation. Offenders are given new hope, and encouragement, to adopt a lifestyle that will result in a second chance towards becoming ideal citizens. “To this end, we are gathered for the graduation ceremony of 302 offenders who completed various education, and skills development, programmes.
This includes 49 qualified artisans, and 50 learners, who completed the Artisan Development Skills Programme. Graduation day is a moment of celebration that marks tremendous accomplishment. Our inmates, without hard work, patience and determination, would not have become our distinguished guests today.
There may have been moments when they felt they could not continue, and, yet, they did. Graduands, remember, the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Continue to seize the day! You have woken up! You are alive to unbounded possibilities.
Life is happening here. Right now! Authors of the book ‘Rethinking Corrections’ (2011:193) reveal that, ‘people who are incarcerated not only suffer from academic deficiencies but also routinely lack vocational skills needed to obtain and perform adequately in the workforce’.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is going all out to make sure that inmates can be productive citizens upon release not only as job seekers, but also social entrepreneurs. “On 10th September, 522 inmates graduated, in a variety of courses and skills development programmes, from correctional centres in the Free State and Northern Cape.
The top student was 23 year old Gcobani Mayoyo who achieved distinctions in Mathematics, Biology, Economics and Business Economics, and B symbols in English and Xhosa, in his Matric examinations. Three years ago, when Gcobani was imprisoned, he had a Grade 11 certificate.
Upon release, he left our correctional facility with his Matric. Correctional Services is assisting him with a bursary, as he intends studying further to become a chartered accountant. Mayoyo was released on parole earlier this month, after being held in custody at Goedemoed Correctional Centre in the Free State.
Shaun Coetzee, an offender at Dwarsrivier Correctional Centre in the Western Cape, was recently awarded the Adult Education & Training (AET) Best Learner of the Year 2013 by the Western Cape Education Department. He competed against eight nominees from AET community centres in the Cape Winelands District. From 1 April, it is compulsory for every inmate without a qualification equivalent to Grade 9 to complete Adult Education and Training (AET) level 1 to 4.
This year, 10 393 offenders are registered for AET 1 to 4. Offenders are also being trained as Literacy Facilitators, to teach functionally and totally illiterate offenders to read, write, spell and study. “In the 2012 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, inmates achieved a 79,25% pass rate compared to 68,06% in 2011.
In 2012/13, 1 049 offenders were studying towards post-matric / higher education and training qualifications, 3 525 towards further education and training (FET) college programmes (including electrical engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering and marketing) and 4 188 towards skills development programmes (including basic business skills training and entrepreneurship).
DCS has cultivated various partnerships for skills development programmes for offenders. During 2012/13, a Protocol Agreement was signed between DCS and the Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET). “Based on this agreement, DHET allocated funds, from the National Skills Fund, for the training of offenders.
Last year, R66,424 million was allocated for training offenders including scarce skills such as welding, plumbing, bricklaying, plastering, electrical, carpentry and agricultural skills programmes. From November 2012 to April 2013, 5 215 offenders were trained on agriculture, business, construction, food services, computers, textile, carpentry, beauty and nail technology, welding and electrical-related programmes.
Other programmes completed by offenders included the National Certificate (Vocational), Engineering Studies N6, Business Studies N6 and Artisan Development. In May 2012, 416 youth offenders graduated with their International Computer Driver Licence (ICDL) certificates.
In January, the Department of Higher Education and TRaining (DHET) also ensured that 97 DCS educators were trained as data capturers at Ekurhuleni FET College. We also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Department of Basic Education, where offender labour is being utilisd to build, and renovate schools as well as supply furniture.
Through these initiatives, DCS is also contributing to ‘A skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path’. We are also grateful for the partnership with TKM consortium. Offenders who attended the artisan development programme will receive toolboxes today, related to their specific trades purchased by TKM, to enable them to start their own businesses after release.
DCS is proud to have produced a number of qualified artisans, enhancing their successful reintegration into society and contributing to ‘The Year of the Artisan campaign’. We are also working with the Department of Home Affairs to ensure that offenders above the age of 16 are in possession of identity documents. This is a requirement for registration for accredited education and training programmes.
Our correctional centres are places of re-awakening. They are society’s rehabilitation hubs, to rekindle the flame of hope and social harmony. Through our reading for redemption programme, we are lighting the fire that will generate South Africa’s gems of social cohesion and lasting prosperity. These graduands have come to the realisation that they cannot stop the future, nor can they rewind the past. All they have is today, and they are pressing PLAY to mend their lives through education and training.
Their education is a companion which no future can depress, no crime can destroy, no enemy can alienate and no nepotism can enslave. That’s what BB King meant when he said ‘the beautiful thing about education is that no one can take it away from you’. Louis L’Amour captures this in these words, ‘the best of all things is to learn. Money can be lost or stolen, health and strength may fail, but what you have committed to your mind is yours forever,’ Minister Ndebele said.
Enquiries:
Logan Maistry
Cell: 083 644 4050
