Minister Masutha rekindles hope for a better life among youth in Bloemfontein
To simple talk about challenges facing the youth is not enough. This was said by Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Adv. Michael Masutha today, 30 April 2016, while addressing over 2 000 young people in Mangaung from Thaba-nchu, Botshabelo, Bloemfontein and surrounding areas.
The gathering is the second Correctional Youth Summit convened by Minister Masutha as a nation wide campaign for opening correctional centre doors for the education and skills development of needy youths from areas surrounding the country’s 243 correctional centers.
The Correctional Youth Summits are the initiative of Minister Masutha and form part of government’s crime prevention efforts. The summits entail the engagement of young people and inviting them to participate in various skills development programmes of Correctional Services.
Minister Masutha said, “Correctional Services has the ability to make a more meaningful contribution to society, which goes beyond just incarcerating and rehabilitating those in conflict with the law”. He added that the summits are not just events where people come, listen and leave, but platforms for conversation on how practically young people could be exposed to technical, vocational and occupational skills development opportunities in Correctional Services, that were traditionally accessible to only offenders.
The Minister emphasised that the ambitious outreach programme of Correctional Services is made possible by growing partnerships with various stakeholders from different sectors of society, who share a common vision of a better and a safer South Africa.
He said the ideals outlined in the National Development Plan can only be realised when significant investment is made collectively to break the vicious circle of poverty and underdevelopment, primarily targeting young people on whose shoulders lies South Africa’s future. He said all sectors of the society should join hands to mobilise necessary resources to accelerate the development and diverting of young people at risk of committing crime towards positive roleplaying.
“Young people are at the heart of the National Development Plan, the collective blueprint for a society where all South Africans will flourish, said Masutha”.
Mangaung Correctional Centre currently houses 610 remand detainees of between 18 and 20 years of age, while those serving sentences within the same age group are 596. Most of these young people are in custody for, predominantly, murder, rape, robbery and assault, which is one of the biggest concerns of the Department of Correctional Services.
Minister Masutha emphasised that more prevention measures are needed to create hope for a better life and prevent young people from turning correctional centres into their homes.
The summits of Minister Masutha are jointly organised by the Department of Correctional Services and Local Municipalities.
Addressing the summit the Deputy Mayor of Mangaung Metro, Councillor Connie Rampai praised the Minister’s initiative to build partnerships aimed at the development of young people at risk of committing crimes. He said it would also augment some of the municipality’s initiatives aimed at empowering and skilling the youth, which involve among others, the Central University of Technology and ABSA Bank.
“We have a serious challenge of drug abuse and gangsterism in Mangaung, we therefore appreciate that Correctional Services is coming up with such practical solutions and we hope that we can prevent our children from indulging in drugs,” said Cllr Connie Rampai.
Gangsterism in society, lack of employment opportunities for young ex-offenders and a need for financial support of young entrepreneurs featured prominently during the dialogue.
Minister Masutha undertook to engage other state agencies to ensure an integrated approach to dealing with a series of concerns young people raised during the summit. He said any society ignoring its youth and children, does that at its own peril, and the South African government is committed to centralise young people in all facets of development.
Enquiries:
Adv. Mthunzi Mhaga
Cell: 083 641 8141
