Correctional Services entrenching democracy through safer communities
As South Africa commemorates the 30th anniversary of the country’s democratic dispensation, the move from prisons to corrections has seen the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) entrenching democracy through safer communities.
Across the country, as part of the DCS frameworks on Self-Sufficiency and Sustainability as well as Social Reintegration, the Department is utilizing offender labour and actively participating in fostering safer communities, utilizing the skills inmates acquire in correctional centres, thereby contributing towards improving infrastructure and environment. This also ensures that offenders, parolees, probationers and ex-offenders give back to victims of crime and society and demonstrate remorse for the crimes they committed.
Over the years, several communities and schools have benefitted from this initiative cementing government’s District Development Model designed to address problems with service delivery. On Freedom Day 2024 (Saturday, 27 April 2024), DCS was at Mmakagbo Senior Secondary School, in Moletji, Limpopo, where Correctional Services contribution to this school, since 2021, includes classrooms being turned into mini-halls, school gardens beautified and taken care of by parolees, old pit toilets, that posed a threat to the environment, demolished, development of the sports field, with grandstands installed, which has inspired the formation of Mmakgabo soccer academy, provision of furniture of more than 100 desks, donations of school uniform and sanitary materials, construction of a borehole and vegetable garden, routine maintenance, security at the school bolstered as well as DCS crime awareness campaigns resulting in disciplined learners who are not disruptive and do not have to be subjected to substance testing.
The Principal of Mmakagbo Senior Secondary School, Albert Makwela, was named Limpopo province’s best teacher for 2023 and national finalist. The school also obtained top position for Spelling Bee in the DCS 13th Funda Mzansi annual championship, that celebrates literacy and reading, held from 2 to 6 October 2023, in George in the Western Cape. The school is targeting a 100% pass rate in the Grade 12 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, with 106 learners enrolled this year.
Also, on Freedom Day (27 April 2024), DCS participated in the Northern Cape provincial Freedom Day celebration, and donated various items of fresh produce, harvested by inmates at correctional centre farms, to Princess Pofadder House of Safety in Keimoes and Oasis Centre for the Disabled in Upington.
Earlier this month (17 April 2024), DCS was at Learamele Special School for learners with intellectual disabilities, in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality in the Northern Cape, where the Department contributed towards cleaning of the school premises, cleaning the netball field, establishment of soccer fields, installation of tyres around the soccer and netball fields to be used as seats during matches and is continuing to develop extra vegetable beds as well as clean and maintain the vegetable beds and school premises. Other DCS projects in the Northern Cape include Ba’One Intellectual Disability Centre, in Kuruman, where the Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa, handed over revamped amenities, including a sports field and ablution facility, as well as a vegetable garden, using offender labour. The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, also handed over a fully furnished house, built through offender labour, to Mme Maria Motale, who is partially blind, in Ntswelengwe Village. DCS has rolled-out a number of other community outreach programmes, focusing on victims of crime as well as crime prevention including gender-based violence and femicide.
DCS National Commissioner, Makgothi Thobakgale said there are numerous similar projects that DCS is involved in, across the country, fostering safer communities and safer schools. “When offenders come through the correctional system, one of the interventions towards their rehabilitation is skills development. Offenders are taught many things, such as building, painting, farming, plumbing and empowered with various other skills, while we also allow them to study further and even obtain post-graduate qualifications. This is done to assist offenders to fend for themselves, after they have served time in correctional centres and released back into society. As DCS, we bring offenders into communities to work together to better these communities, employing the same skills they acquired in correctional centres, thereby contributing positively towards society. Even our correctional officials often dig deep into their own pockets to help needy communities. DCS will continue to play an active role in building this great nation, South Africa, and the future we want,” the National Commissioner said.
Media enquiries:
Logan Maistry
Cell: 083 644 4050
E-mail: Logan.Maistry1@dcs.gov.za
Call Centre: 0860 000 327 // enquiry.complaints@dcs.gov.za / www.dcs.gov.za
