unveiling a multi-million rand renovations and reconstruction programme of
correctional centres not suitable for rehabilitation
29 September 2006
Correctional Services Minister, Ngconde Balfour, has warned offenders that
government had decided to get tougher on crime and will not tolerate any
hostage takings or relations with crime syndicates, while under the care of the
department. Minister Balfour said this while officially unveiling a
multi-million rand infrastructure development programme that is aimed at
turning around its old and inappropriate facilities into model centres of
rehabilitation, in North West on Friday, 29 September 2006.
Addressing over one thousand people at the launch of a renovated, extended
and upgraded Wolmaransstad Correctional Centre in North West, Minister Balfour
said many prisons built before 1994 are inappropriate for advancing the
rehabilitation of offenders. The opening also served as the closing ceremony of
the Corrections Week he launched on 21 September 2006 in Boksburg. Minister
Balfour said the condition of many old correctional facilities placed an
enormous burden on the new system of corrections in South Africa, as resources
required for renovations, reconstruction, extension and upgrading are very
limited.
Wolmaransstad Correctional Centre, recently extended and upgraded for R18,6
million, is one of the six facilities recently completed that created an
additional 998 bed-spaces to alleviate overcrowding. Other facilities are
Leeuwkop (700), Ekuseni (120), Kranskop (38), Greytown (9) and Eshowe (50). The
Wolmaransstad Correctional Centre is now able to accommodate 72 more offenders
that it was originally designed.
The Minister announced that over the next two years eleven correctional
centres will be renovated, extended and upgraded to create an additional 1 947
bed spaces at a cost of R763 million. He said centres under this programme
include "Tzaneen, Ingwavuma, Burgersdorp, Calvinia, Warmbokkeveld, Van
Rhynsdorp, Brandvlei, Zeerust, Parys, Nongoma and Nkandla and it is expected
that these will further unlock an additional bed space /accommodation capacity
of about 2 000, for inmates."
He said although the department is pursuing the issue of constructing new
facilities and upgrading old ones with great vigour, "we believe the solution
to overcrowding lies not on the building of more prisons, but on changing the
culture of the society and practices of the criminal justice system as
sustainable societal interventions".
He said the programme of constructing new generation correctional centres
remains on course, despite a number of challenges that have delayed the
construction. He said the second set of these correctional centres is
progressing well, such that they may be completed first.
The department is working on a five-year capital expenditure programme that
will incorporate the remodelling of many centres unsuitable for rehabilitation
and the construction of new needs-based and efficient facilities of
incarceration. He said steadily but surely a mark is being made in turning
around the "apartheid prisons" into correctional centres of rehabilitation,
with over half a billion rand spent in the last financial year on renovating,
extending and upgrading centres some of which were built with corrugated
iron.
The launch was also attended by the Speaker of the North West Provincial
Legislature, Thandi Modise, who said traditional African societies did not use
prisons but instead instituted immediate and appropriate justice in a
humanising manner. She said offenders had no reasons for rebelling against the
state as the current corrections system recognises their human rights and
accords appropriate treatment. Ms Modise also congratulated the Department of
Correctional Services for creating a platform for partnerships with the public
and the community.
Other dignitaries that attended the launch included five district and local
municipal mayors, the national commissioner of Correctional Services Mr Linda
Mti, church leaders, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and offenders.
Enquiries:
Manelisi Wolela
Cell: 083 626 0304
Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
29 September 2006
Source: SAPA
