22 September 2006
A focus week dedicated to showcase Correctional Services' best practices
launched by Minister Ngconde Balfour on 21 September 2006 will get into high
gear next, week with a series of activities lined up across the country.
1. Leading the national line up is the launch of three correctional centres
recently accredited by the Department of Health as antiretroviral (ARV) sites
in KwaZulu-Natal, viz. Pietermaritzburg, Qalakabusha and Durban Westville. The
sites will be launched on 26 September 2006 by Correctional Services Deputy
Minister, Loretta Jacobus, from Pietermaritzburg Correctional Centre. The
Durban Westville Correctional Centre accreditation this week brought to four
centres accredited by the Department of Health, as the first one was Grootvlei
near Bloemfontein.
The Department of Correctional Services believes that the accreditation will
help accelerate the implementation of its comprehensive HIV and AIDS management
plan as it would improve the turn around time and reduce the risk of offender
escapes. Correctional Services welcomes the growing integration of efforts to
fight the HIV and AIDS pandemic in correctional centres, as demonstrated by the
Departments of Health and Home Affairs.
2. On 27 September 2006, the department in partnership with various faith
organisations in South Africa will kick start a massive campaign of collecting
one million signatures of people committed to make corrections, rehabilitation
and social re-integration of offenders a real national effort. Minister Ngconde
Balfour, Chairperson of the Moral Regeneration Movement, Father Smangaliso
Mkhatshwa, Premier of Free State, Beatrice Marshoff, and leaders of various
faith-organisations will lead the signing campaign after an inter-faith prayer
service to be held at Grootvlei Correctional Centre near Bloemfontein. Hosting
an interfaith prayer service aimed at enhancing efforts to strengthen the
'reconstruction of the soul' will be a historic period for the correctional
centre that was the epitome of fraud and corruption, as experienced by the
department during the Jali Commission investigations.
3. On 29 September 2006, Minister Balfour will inspect and officially open a
recently rebuilt and renovated correctional centre in Wolmaranstad in North
West. The centre is one in many old prisons (some of which were built with
corrugated iron as "people warehouses") that are being renovated, rebuilt or
extended to make them suitable correctional centres for rehabilitation of
offenders.
Launching the Corrections Week in Boksburg on 21 September, Minister Balfour
said Correctional Services is not all doom and gloom as some people may wish to
portray, because there are many pockets of service delivery excellence
especially over the past twelve years. He cited the sustained improvement of
the workshop of Boksburg Correctional Centre that has reached a R22 million
level of return on the investment.
Nationally Correctional Services produces 11 million kilograms of
vegetables, 1,2 millions dozens of eggs, over 1,2 million loaves of bread and a
lot of furniture for essentially internal use. After inspecting beautiful
furniture and steel products manufactured by offenders at Boksburg, Minister
Balfour called on the business sector to partner with Correctional Services in
order to tap into a vast pool of skilled and rehabilitated offenders on their
release.
Your institution is invited to cover these occasions. Kindly confirm your
attendance. For assistance with accreditation contact persons given in the
attached programme.
Enquiries:
Manelisi Wolela
Tel: (012) 305 8205
Cell: 083 626 0304
Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
22 September 2006
