Correctional Services National Commissioner Tom Moyane is leading a South African delegation to the first Biennial Conference of Africa Correctional Services Association (ACSA) that will be held in Accra – Ghana from 13 to 17 September 2010. Commissioner Moyane is flying out to Ghana on Saturday, 11 September 2010.
The conference will focus on building the capacity of the newly formed organisation for purposes of “Expanding the frontiers of change through corrections” in Africa. The conference is expected to endorse a five year strategic plan that focuses on:
- research, training and development
- technical assistance
- fundraising and resource mobilisation
- celebration of pockets of excellence
- marketing of the new structure that includes moblisation of members
- election of the new executive committee.
Corrections/prisons remain peripheral in the continent’s reconstruction and development programmes while they continue to experience massive overcrowding, collapsing infrastructure, high reoffending rates, serious underfunding and high levels of ex-offender rejection by society.
The ACSA Conference will discuss a number of position papers aimed at building a framework for effectively addressing the perennial challenges facing corrections/prisons in Africa. They include:
The challenge(s) of overcrowding and correctional programming: Dr Alhas Maicibi; Director for Research, UNAFRI, Kampala, Uganda
- Bridging the funding gap in African Correctional Systems: Prof Osisioma Nwolise;Professor of Political Science Igbinedion University, Okada, Nigeria
- From prison to society: Making the correctional task complete by ensuring social reintegration: Mr Gilbert Omondi; Senior Corrections Advisor UN, Sudan
- Making Criminal Justice Administration a System: Sharing Best Practices: Mrs Mirriam Kawimbe; Country Coordinator, Governance Secretariat, Lusaka, Republic of Zambia.
Among members countries expected at the conference are: Zambia, Swaziland, Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Benin, Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi and Rwanda. The delegation will also tour some correctional / prison facilities in Ghana. The conference will be officially opened by the minister of interior also responsible for Prisons in Ghana Mr Martin Amidu.
The strategic documents to be endorsed by the Accra conference were first drafted at a meeting of the ACSA extended executive committee held in South Africa in February this year and further discussed in a series of teleconference meetings of the executive committee.
The February meeting had reiterated its commitment to ensure that birth of ACSA did not only raise hopes for harmonised correctional systems in Africa, but lives up to the promise of the founders of ACSA to build a dynamic institution that effectively contributes to the realisation of a prosperous and better Africa.
The South African delegation includes the Chief Deputy Commissioner responsible for Correction, Mr Zach Modise Deputy Commissioner responsible for Inter Governmental Relations Ms Mary Magoro and Mr Malusi Mahlulo, the Director of Multilateral Relations.
South Africa is the current Secretary of the first all Africa corrections body established in Zambia in 2008 to replace regional formations of corrections/prisons like the Conference for Eastern Southern and Central Africa Heads of Correctional Services (CESCA).
Enquiries:
Manelisi Wolela
Cell: 083 626 0304
