A delegation from the Republic of Kenya’s Advisory Committee on the Power of Mercy (POMAC) is currently on a study tour to South Africa to learn more about the county’s correctional system.
The role of POMAC is to receive, and review, petitions from deserving convicted criminal offenders, and to make appropriate recommendations to the President of the Republic of Kenya for consideration. The Committee is chaired by the Attorney-General, and comprises of nine members who possess diverse professional expertise, skills and knowledge and are competitively selected by a special selection panel constituted by the President.
The four-day tour, which commenced today (27 October) at the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) Head Office in Pretoria with various presentations on the functioning of South Africa’s correctional system, will include interactions with offenders, officials and members of the Correctional Services and Parole Boards (CSPBs) as well as visits to correctional centres at Zonderwater and Baviaanspoort, ending in Pollsmoor on Monday (2 November).
Leader of the delegation, and vice-chair of POMAC, Ms. Regina Saira Boisabi said: “The POMAC study tour is a benchmarking exercise, because of the many success stories we have heard about the Department of Correctional Services in the Republic of South Africa. We are confident that our visit will empower POMAC to exercise our mandate effectively and efficiently”.
Welcoming the delegation, National Commissioner of DCS, Mr. Zach Modise, said: “Since the dawn of democracy, correctional facilities in South Africa have undergone significant changes. Democracy in our country necessitated that prisons are transformed into correctional centres of rehabilitation, where offenders are given new hope, and encouragement, to adopt a lifestyle that will result in a second chance towards becoming ideal citizens.
“As you may be aware, earlier this month on 7 October 2015, the United Nations launched the Revised Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, dubbed the ‘Nelson Mandela Rules,’ which Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed as ‘a great step forward’. In his remarks, UN General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft also recalled the spirit of South Africa’s founding President, Nelson Mandela, noting that the late leader emphasised: ‘It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.
A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones’. Mr. Lykketoft said that, too often, the driving principle behind prisoner treatment has been to see these individuals as entirely separate from our communities and our societies.
“As stated by the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Oh Joon, ‘re-offending and a life of crime are often handed down from one generation to another, exacerbating poverty and marginalisation in societies. Greater human rights, enhanced education, improved chances of rehabilitation can break these dangerous cycles.
The Revised Standard Minimum Rules represent a significant progress in the treatment of prisoners. Our goal now is to translate these rules into a daily reality for prisoners everywhere,’” said Commissioner Modise.
For media interviews, the Secretary/CEO of POMAC, Mr. Michael A. Kagika, may be contacted on 083 536 3110.
Enquiries:
Manelisi Wolela
Cell: 076 062 2180
