SA Corrections April08.pdf - Department of Correctional Services

i n s i d e
Deputy
Minister’s
Budget Vote
Speech
Sixteenth
Women are
M A N A G E M E N T N E W S
ARV site
doing it for
accredited
themselves
7
APRIL/MAY 2008
10
Hip jazz
band
in the
11
making
APRIL/MAY 2008
Budget Vote Speech in a nutshell
Fewer escapes, improved security,
more staff, new facilities
In delivering the department’s
Budget Vote Speech in
parliament on 5 June, Minister
Balfour said there has been a
14% decrease in the number of
escapes since 2006. Analysis
of figures over the past 14
years since the advent of
democracy shows an overall
reduction of 93%. This is
indeed something to write
home about.
By Phumzile Kotane
Photos: Mandla Mathibe
4
Minister Balfour attributed this improvement
to a number of interventions
to improve security and
deal harshly with corrupt officials who
collude with inmates to escape.
One such intervention is the annual Operation
Vala (lock-up) over the December
festive season. This is a strategy that
deals appropriately with hardened criminals
that pose serious danger to society,
officials and other offenders.
New security technology has also
been introduced such as a new fencing
system, biometric access control and
closed-circuit television.
More pictures and articles on
pages 3–4

SA Corrections Today is the national
internal newsletter of the Department
of Correctional Services, Republic of
South Africa
Patron: Minister of Correctional
Services, Deputy Minister of
Correctional Services
Editor in Chief: Bheki Manzini
Editor: Estelle Coetzee
Layout Editor: Nathan van den Bergh
Published by the Department of
Correctional Services, Private Bag
X136, Pretoria 0001.
Tel: (012) 307 2296 Fax: (012) 323 4942
Repro and printing facilitated by the
Government Printer, Pretoria.
The opinions expressed in SA
Corrections Today are those of
the authors and do not necessarily
represent those of the editor or the
Department of Correctional Services.
The editor reserves the right to alter any
contribution or not to publish it.
Letters to the editor that are published
in this newsletter represent the personal
view of the writers and do not reflect the
views of the Department of Correctional
Services. The editor reserves the right
to amend or reject letters. Letters should
be sent to The Editor, SA Corrections
Today, Private Bag X136, Pretoria
0001 and must be clearly marked “For
publication in SA Corrections Today”.
It can also be e-mailed to:
estelle.coetzee@dcs.gov.za
M A N A G E M E N T N E W S
From the editor...
This edition is packed full of interesting
stories and happenings … from the Minister’s
Budget Vote Speech to the launch
of the 16th ARV site. That is why we have
a full 24 pages on offer this time around,
instead of the usual 20 pages.
The editorial team again focused on
progress made at the construction site
of the correctional centre in Kimberley
as well as the 7-Day Establishment as
these are important deliverables for the
department this year.
Officials should take special notice of
2 SA Corrections Today
African Ministers move ahead with ACSA
Ten African Ministers of prisons/correctional services met
in Pretoria on 29 and 30 May to agree on the formal launch
of the continental body, ACSA (African Correctional Services
Association).
Addressing the media, National Commissioner,
Vernie Petersen spoke about
the upcoming launch of ACSA. “We
have committed ourselves to ensure that the
establishment of ACSA happens and this is
an important milestone for the continent,”
said Mr Petersen.
ACSA was established in Swaziland last
year to replace CESCA, which consisted
only of Eastern, Southern and Central African
countries. The formation of ACSA is
historical in that it promotes a holistic approach
to penal/correctional systems on the
continent.
The Interim Executive Committee pictured
in Pretoria during a meeting where huge
progress was made towards launching
ACSA.
The ministers’ meeting was preceded by
preparatory meetings of the Interim Secretariat
of senior officials as well as the Interim
Executive Committee, composed of national
commissioners of prisons/correctional services
from the same member countries of
ACSA.
The ministers’ meeting is the highest decision
making body of ACSA, known as the
Ministerial Council of ACSA Champions
(MINCAC). The council considered a report
by the Interim Secretariat and the Executive
the key strategic projects mentioned by
the Minister as well as the three Service
Delivery Improvement Plans (SDIPs).
One of the SDIPs points to the strengthening
of family ties. The department has
long since realised that stronger family
ties assist offenders with social reintegration
when they leave correctional facilities.
In view of this the department’s
management cadre has recommitted to
improve service delivery in the management
of visitation rights and visitation opportunities.
Enjoy the read.
Committee as well as a proposed programme
of action towards launching ACSA officially
in September 2008.
The Ministers attending the meeting were
from Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Swaziland,
Tanzania, Kenya, Angola, Zambia, Nigeria
and South Africa.
The Ministerial Council of ACSA Champions
(MINCAC)
The key objectives of ACSA include:
• accelerating the transformation of largely
old prison systems to corrections and
rehabilitation focused systems across
Africa in line with international and
African declarations on the handling of
offenders
• creating a platform for coordinated interventions
aimed at addressing many
challenges facing the prison / correctional
services in African countries
• mainstreaming the corrections function
in post-conflict reconstruction and development
while also sharing best practices.
When asked about the date for the launch
Mr John Nyoka, chairperson of the Interim
Secretariat said it would definitely be later
this year. Endorsement will also be sought
from the African Union.

Continued from front page
Capacity building
Minister Balfour said during his reign he
has watched over the implementation of
various other critical interventions aimed
at building and transforming the depart-
ment into a well-oiled service delivery
machine. The development of an adequately
staffed department was one of
them. “We have therefore increased the
staff complement by 26% from 32 430
to 40 998 over the past three years. We
simultaneously improved women representation
at executive management level
to 37%, at senior management level to
26% and middle management level to
30% while also increasing women recruitment
at entry level to 30%. These
improvements have geared the department
to pilot the 7-Day working week recently,
thereby eliminating unsustainable
overtime that was approaching R1 billion
rand per year while also meeting basic
conditions of employment obligations,”
he said.
Facilities
To deal with the problem of overcrowding,
the department has also built new
correctional centres and renovated
some old ones. These include Goodwood,
Qalakabusha and Kokstad Medium.
“The two Public-Private Partnership
correctional centres in Mangaung
and Kuthama-Senthumule are part of a
broader plan that included the renovation
of 57 facilities, and upgrading of 12
facilities nationally. Over the next three
years we will build six new facilities to
accommodate 18 000 inmates,” Minister
Balfour said. The current construction of
the correctional centre in Kimberley will
provide 3 000 bed spaces by mid-2009.
A total of 15 000 bed spaces will be delivered
through the construction of five
B U D G E T V O T E S P E E C H
new generation centres by public-private
partnership deals, commonly known as
PPP prisons.
Partnerships
Minister Balfour also took the time to
acknowledge partners from the NGO
Spurring on their Minister and Deputy, senior managers from the department attended the
reading of the budget vote speeches in parliament.
and business sectors, who he said, contributed
immensely to the continuing improvement
of correctional services in the
country. “One of the outstanding achievements
of the previous financial year was
a national stakeholders’ conference that
expressed the need for building a South
African Corrections Association of all key
players in the corrections community,”
said the Minister.
Minister Balfour also referred to the
department’s contribution to fighting
Correctional officials not only know how to
take care of offenders, they are also apt in
cultural performances.
crime in the country. He said the department
has adopted a strategy that does
not only focus on housing offenders but
ensures that they are rehabilitated and
reintegrated into society. This ultimately
reduces the chances of them re-offending
and contributes to building a safer
South Africa.
From the floor
Overall, the Minister and Deputy Minister’s
speeches were well received by all
APRIL/MAY 2008
political parties that appreciated progress
made. But they also warned about ongoing
challenges.
The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee,
Dennis Bloem said, “I want to
make it very clear that I fully support the
policy of rehabilitation of prisoners. That
is the position of the entire committee.
But we must also understand that rehabilitation
is a process and not an event.
One very important and critical issue that
prisoners must understand is that privileges
are not rights.”
Democratic Alliance spokesperson on
correctional services, James Selfe said,
“A depressingly high proportion of released
offenders re-offend, raising questions
about the effectiveness of the rehabilitation
programmes.”
Minister Balfour said he was aware that
many challenges are still very real. “Government
has called for business unusual
in accelerating service delivery in the
remaining period of the third democratic
government. We may have made a difference
in many respects but running a
correctional system efficiently and effectively
has its inherent challenges. The
ideals spelled out in the White Paper on
Corrections will take over a decade to
realise in a very supportive context,” the
Minister said.
To give effect to the call for ‘Business
Unusual’, Correctional Services identified
five key strategic projects for the
year, two White Paper projects and three
Service Delivery Improvement Plans
(SDIPs) to ensure that government’s
apex priorities are centralised.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
These are:
Infrastructure development
Re-engineering the country’s remand
detention system
Phasing in the Offender Rehabilitation
Path
Enhancing sustainable social reintegration
of offenders
Implementing the 7-Day working
week in an integrated manner with
the new Occupation Specific Dispensation
for correctional officials
Further rollout of Centres of Excellence
with supportive centres of expertise
Enhancing security interventions
The three SDIPs are:
•
•
•
Filling vacancies
Improving Adult Basic Education
(ABET) for thousands of offenders
who have no functional skills, in order
to reduce survival crimes
Improving the management of visitations
to support family ties

Deputy Minister on children in
centres, HIV and parole boards
Deputy Minister Loretta Jacobus was upbeat about the
department’s achievements when delivering her budget vote
speech in parliament on 5 June, notwithstanding the challenges
still being faced.
Giving highlights of the department’s
achievements, she mentioned the
reduction of children in correctional
centres, more access by offenders to
antiretroviral treatment and scores of
offenders accessing rehabilitation programmes.
Children in conflict with the law
Deputy Minister Jacobus said, “We
have reduced the numbers of children in
correctional centres by 51% from 4 129 in
2003 to 2 079 in 2007. This was a result
of integrated intervention by the JCPS
and Social Sector clusters.” She added
that, “More and more children are given
alternative sentences and / or put on
diversion programmes, which is a clear
indication of a growing consensus about
ideal practices within the criminal justice
system. Challenges, though, are enough
places of safety with appropriate facilities,
security and personnel to provide
key services to these children.” But she
assured parliamentarians that the JCPS
cluster is working with its sister cluster,
Social Sector to address these gaps.
Furthermore, the department has made
a commitment to supply information on
children incarcerated in its facilities on
a monthly basis to sister departments of
the JCPS cluster. This will ensure prompt
and appropriate action to speed up the
processing of children through the system.
B U D G E T V O T E S P E E C H
Deputy Minister Jacobus, supported by members dressed in their cultural performance
outfits, just before she entered Parliament.
The Deputy Minister, however, also rang
alarm bells when she mentioned that statistics
show an increasing number of children
that are being incarcerated for more
serious and violent crimes like rape and
murder. This, she said, reflected more
societal problems. “The reality of crime
in South Africa demanded that the Department
of Correctional Services must,
alongside improving security, emphasise
rehabilitation and development programmes
aimed at turning these young
people into socially responsible and productive
citizens,” Ms. Jacobus said.
HIV and ARV treatment
Ms Jacobus was also pleased about
the department’s successes in fighting
the HIV and AIDS scourge, citing the
prevalence survey, numbers of offenders
reached through prevention programmes,
and those accessing ARV
therapy.
She highlighted that 376 officials and
3 300 offenders were trained as Mate
Trainers and Peer Educators, thereby
reaching 108 000 offenders with educational
messages on HIV prevention.
Altogether 296 offender support groups
were established, while 16 correctional
centres were accredited as sites for ARV
treatment. Currently over 4 200 offenders
are on ARV therapy.
She said the partnerships built to collectively
campaign against the pandemic
SA Corrections Today
continued to register the desired impact.
She noted the assistance of the US
Presidential Emergency Programme on
Aids Relief (PEPFAR), which funded a
nationwide HIV and syphilis prevalence
survey among officials and offenders to
the tune of R4,2 million.
Parole boards and victim empowerment
“We have made a clear undertaking
before to mainstream victims’ roles and
responsibilities in the management of
our offender population, particularly in
the parole system. I believe everyone
knows that over the past four years, we
changed chairpersons and deputy chairpersons
of the 52 Correctional Supervision
and Parole Boards (CSPB) to be
autonomous representatives of the local
communities, instead of DCS officials as
before. We have invested a lot in this
project, including the training of chairpersons,
their deputies and their support
personnel.
We also undertook to build appropriate
offices for all these CSPBs as a means
of further facilitating victim and community
participation in parole hearings at a
cost of over R40 million between the previous
financial year to 2010. To date we
have built nine CSPB offices.
Special occasion: bystanders were
intrigued by the melodious voices of the
combined member choir from Western Cape
and Gauteng.
The Deputy Minister referred briefly to
the budgets allocated for the Judicial Inspectorate
of Prisons, namely R17 905
million and the National Council on Correctional
Services of R703 000. These
are two independent bodies with oversight
functions.
Ms Jacobus lastly called upon the
broader public to embrace ex-offenders
upon their release because, she said,
“continued stigmatisation, marginalisation
and social isolation of former offenders
often lead to repeat offending and a
continuation of the cycle of crime.”

M A N A G E M E N T N E W S
Minister’s Imbizo in Mamelodi
By Dimakatso Mokwena
April was once again that time of the year when senior
government officials visited communities and listened to their
concerns on service delivery matters.
On Friday April, Minister Balfour and
his squad had an Imbizo in Mamelodi
in Pretoria and people came in large
numbers.
Young and old people alike were delighted
to meet Minister Balfour.
This year’s theme is Business Unusual: All
hands on deck to speed up change. Addressing
the public about the purpose of the Imbizo,
Deputy Minister Loretta Jacobus said, “In
response to the President’s call of speeding
up service delivery, we came here today to
listen to your needs. We are here to advance
the government’s commitment of improving
the lives of our people. The purpose of the
The department, together with the
Eastern Cape Provincial Executive
Council (EXCO) hosted an Imbizo
on 6 and 7 April at Kirkwood Correctional
Centre. The Imbizo marked the beginning
of the Government Imbizo Focus
Week and had members of the provincial
government and local government
attending.
The Imbizo started with a special monitoring
visit to parolees and probationers.
It was led by Minister Balfour and EXCO
members accompanied him. These visits
usually establish whether parolees
adhere to their parole conditions. The
visit was also aimed at establishing the
effectiveness of the social reintegration
of offenders and to look at the role of
the community in the social reintegration
process.
In his keynote address, the Minister said
that the department is reaching a milestone
in its social partnerships towards
sustaining an effective correctional system
and breaking the cycle of crime. “We
Imbizo is for you to tell us what we can do
better,” she said.
And indeed, the public did make suggestions
on what the government and the department
in particular, can do better.
Concerns centred around ex-offenders and
employment. One resident, Beauty Msiza
asked why there were toddlers with their
mothers in correctional centres because she
thought it was unnecessary. Gauteng Regional
Commissioner, Thozama Mqobi answered
by saying that removing an infant from the
mother was not the best solution but the department
makes provision to keep infants
with their mothers in custody until they are
five years old. The new amendment bill however,
changed this to two years of age.
Advocate Mqobi added that some families
were reluctant to look after children whose
mothers are incarcerated. She appealed to
families to cooperate with the department
where they can.
An ex-offender, Robinson Makama said he
was released from prison ten years ago but he
still could not find a job. He said employers
Ministerial Imbizo in Kirkwood
By Nobuntu Gantana
are forging ahead with quantifiable service
delivery targets of promoting corrections
as a societal responsibility, running
successful rehabilitation programmes
and facilitating offenders’ social reinte-
Imbizo’s are not all serious. When mixing
with communities there is a great deal of
fun too in the cementing of relationships.
gration through partnerships with community
police forums and civic society,”
he said.
The Minister also raised public awareness
on offenders’ social reintegration.
“All hands on deck towards affording a
APRIL/MAY 2008
always question him about something that
he did many years ago. He said the Z8 application
form of government should not ask
people about their criminal record because it
meant that the government did not trust that
Correctional Services’ rehabilitation programmes
were successful. Minister Balfour
replied that this concern can be discussed in
Parliament. He encouraged people to start
their own businesses and said they should
contact organisations such as the Umsombovu
Youth Fund that offers assistance to aspiring
businessmen and women. Ms Dorothy
Lehobye, acting mayor of Tshwane Metropolitan
Municipality agreed with the Minister
and added that job seekers can register
their CVs on www.tshwane.gov.za that will
in turn be submitted to various organisations
that contact them looking for job seekers.
Another resident, Jim Masoko said the government
should do something about foreigners
because they steal from the community,
sell drugs and take jobs from South Africans.
Minister Balfour said such statements were
xenophobic because not all foreigners are
criminals. He reminded South Africans of
their own past and that they fled to neighbouring
countries seeking asylum during
the apartheid era. Ms Lehobye supported
the Minister’s statement and said according
to statistics, there were more than 00 000
South Africans working in other countries.
She also condemned xenophobic attacks on
foreigners.
rehabilitated offender a second chance
to lead a life that is socially and economically
productive,” he said.
The Regional Commissioner of the
Eastern Cape, Ms Nontsikelelo Jolingana
handed over offices and cars to
the chairpersons of parole boards in the
Eastern Cape region.
A number of issues were raised by
community members who attended the
Imbizo. The members of the Sundays
River Valley were mainly concerned
about the delay pertaining to the delivery
of essential services such as building of
roads, proper sanitation, sufficient health
services, unemployment and the alarming
crime rate.
The community expressed their disappointment
with regard to access to government
programmes such as housing,
electricity and economic development
and said it felt as though the programmes
were for a specific group of individuals.
The Minister and Provincial Council
members informed community members
about the steps that the government is
taking to try and address such concerns
and in fulfilling the government’s promise
of a better life for all.

M A N A G E M E N T N E W S
Guests and officials celebrated a life well lived by singing songs and dancing.
Gone but not forgotten …
Mlombile’s legacy lives on By Dimakatso Mokwena
The department held a moving memorial crusade for the late
Gauteng Regional Commissioner, Siyabulela Mlombile on 21 May
in Pretoria Management Area.
The event was attended by senior
managers in the department, including
Minister Ngconde Balfour,
National Commissioner Vernie Petersen,
the department’s Chief Deputy Commissioners
(CDCs), Gauteng and Western
Cape Regional Commissioners, Adv
Thozama Mqobi and James Smalberger
respectively, as well as other officials.
The late Siyabulela Mlombile’s family,
including his wife and children also attended
the crusade.
Mlombile was described by many
speakers as a man who feared God and
had a deep understanding of social conditions
in the community. “He understood
the impact of such conditions on the cycle
of crime and their effects on the criminal
justice system of the country,” said the
programme director, Mr Walter Mashiya
of Leeuwkop Management Area.
National Commissioner Petersen
spoke about the legacy that Mlombile
left, not only for the department but for
the country as whole. “He left a legacy
of corrections as a societal responsibility,”
he said referring to Mlombile’s enormous
contribution to the development of
the White Paper on Corrections in South
Africa. “Today we are here to celebrate a
life well lived and we are honouring and
acknowledging him because he was one
of our own,” said Mr Petersen.
Pastor Thembile Ngidi of Boksburg
Correctional Centre said Mlombile was a
spiritual icon. “The demons were afraid
of him because he was a spiritual giant,”
he said and qualified his statement by relating
a story when Mlombile helped him
to cast away demonic spirits from an offender
who was possessed.
All the speakers said that Mlombile was
a man who dedicated his life to the people
of South Africa by serving with loyalty,
integrity, commitment and dedication.
Mlombile’s wife Phyllis (white outfit) and
her sister were moved by the department’s
memorial crusade for Siyabulela.
Siyabulela Mlombile passed away in
May 2006 at the age of 43 and was buried
in the Eastern Cape.
Mlombile fought for the freedom of
South Africa from the hands of apartheid.
His quest for freedom saw him traveling
a shadowy journey in the bushes of African
countries before he could return
to the country to serve his people with
pride. He joined the department in April
SA Corrections Today
2002 as CDC Corporate Services and
acted as the first CDC Corrections in
April 2004. Also in 2004 he was appointed
as Gauteng Regional Commissioner
until the time of his death.
Minister Balfour said Mlombile always
strived for excellence and committed
himself to transformation of the department.
“It was not by default that he was
taken from another department into Correctional
Services.”
Not only did the Mlombile crusade
seek to celebrate Mlombile’s life, it also
presented an avenue for deepening society’s
understanding of its own role in
rehabilitation and social reintegration of
offenders into the community when released.
Reviewing Mlombile’s work: Judge Justice
Langa said Mlombile’s legacy will forever
live on and will help in crime prevention.
In the evening, an Inaugural Mlombile
Memorial Lecture was held at UNISA.
Prior to the ceremony, Mlombile’s three
children, Nozipho, Zukiswa and Bennie
were seen exchanging handshakes with
their father’s friend and colleague, CDC
Jenny Schreiner and having a casual
chat.
Delivering the keynote address, Chief
Justice of South Africa, Judge Pius Langa
said when reviewing the context of
Mlombile’s work as Gauteng Regional
Commissioner, Mlombile acknowledged
that the social reintegration of offenders
depended much on the goodwill of correctional
officials and the community. His
work on the White Paper showed how
committed he was to his work. Mlombile
realised that offenders were most vulnerable
when they were released and
needed to be rehabilitated rather than
punished. “It is true that as a society we
can be judged by how we treat the vulnerable,”
he said.
Judge Langa also said crime prevention
should be at the top of the department’s
agenda. The department can fight crime
through rehabilitating offenders and ensuring
that they did not re-offend when
released – that was Mlombile’s dream,
said Judge Langa.

M A N A G E M E N T N E W S
Minister of Health, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
and Minister Ngconde Balfour remembered those who died of AIDS by lighting candles.
Sixteenth ARV site accredited
By Dimakatso Mokwena
Pretoria Management Area launched an ARV site on 2 May
amid attendance of cabinet ministers and commissioners from
eight African countries.
Cabinet ministers who attended the
media-studded event was Deputy
President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka,
the department’s Minister Ngconde
Balfour, Minister of Health, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
and the department’s
Deputy Minister Loretta Jacobus. National
Commissioner Vernie Petersen and
Finally: After a year-long of trying to receive
accreditation, the Pretoria Management
Area’s Tshepo Wellness Clinic was officially
opened by the Deputy President as an ARV
site.
Commissioners from Swaziland, Zimbabwe,
Zambia, Rwanda, Namibia, Benin,
Tanzania and Ghana who were in the
country for an African Correctional Services
Association meeting, also graced
the event with their presence.
Addressing hundreds of officials and the
department’s stakeholders who attended
the event, Ms Tshabalala-Msimang
said she was excited the clinic is called
Tshepo Wellness Clinic because tshepo
means hope. She also said there should
be a balance between HIV and AIDS
prevention and the provision of medication.
“We cannot only focus on providing
ARVs, we also need to focus on prevention,”
said Ms Tshabalala-Msimang. The
health Minister also led a candle lighting
ceremony in remembrance of those who
have died of HIV and AIDS.
Answering questions from the media,
Minister Balfour said HIV-positive offenders
are provided with good nutrition to go
with their medication and the centre will
cover seven other correctional centres
within Gauteng.
In delivering her keynote address, Ms
Mlambo-Ngcuka said the opening of the
clinic ties in with the motto of the department
that says Correctional Services is
a place of new beginnings. She encouraged
offenders to enroll in rehabilitation
programmes so that they can fight crime
and contribute to the social and economic
development of the country. “We are
extending our hand as government to
build a better South Africa with you, not
without you,” she said.
Speaking to SA Corrections Today, Zorian
Tshabalala who is a nurse and the
clinic’s manager said he was happy that
at long last the clinic is open. “It has been
a year for us trying to get accreditation
for this site,” he said.
APRIL/MAY 2008
New Inspecting Judge
of Prisons
The Department of Correctional Services
has appointed a new Inspecting
Judge for Prisons. Judge Deon Hurter
van Zyl, who is taking over from Judge
Ntlupeko Yekiso was appointed by Minister
Balfour in the acting position from
the 1 May 2008.
He is presently a professor of law at
North West University, and at the universities
of Stellenbosch and the Free State.
He also served, for a number of years,
as a visiting professor at the University
of Edinburgh in Scotland.
New CDC Development
and Care
Ms Subashini Moodley has been appointed
the new Chief Deputy Commissioner
(CDC) Development and Care.
Ms Moodley has been a Deputy Commissioner
for more than ten years. She
served as a DC in various portfolio’s of
which the most recent was DC Personal
Corrections.

M A N A G E M E N T N E W S
Death grant for officials softens the
blow for families By Sentebaleng Shiko
The department has introduced a new grant for correctional
officials who die in the line of duty. The amount that will be
received by the official’s family is R200 000 and is active as of 1
April this year.
The department, however, acknowledges
that the money will not replace life but
through the introduction of this grant
it hopes to alleviate bereaved families’ financial
constraints. The department also
acknowledges that the introduction of this
grant does not mean that its obligation of ensuring
a healthy and safe working environment
should be neglected. The grant was introduced
in the spirit of Ubuntu shown by the
department to the dependants of its officials
where unforeseen circumstances beyond the
department’s control lead to the death of officials
while on duty, said Deputy Director
Calling on the youth
National Youth Day, 16 June 2008,
marks the 32nd anniversary of the
Soweto Uprising of 1976 and 14
years of democracy.
• Each year, on 16 June, South Africa
commemorates the anniversary of
the Soweto Uprising and connected
uprisings, thereby recalling the sacrifices
the youth made in the struggle
for freedom.
• We celebrate the role our youth play
in the development of the country,
in contributing to the reconstruction
and development of communities.
• Many of the youth of 1976 have become
successful professionals who
have seized the opportunities and
are now role models in government,
business and industry.
This year, Youth Month is being celebrated
primarily against the backdrop
of the recent attacks on foreign nationals
Retention and Termination, Mr Johannes
Ndala. He also said an investigation will be
conducted to find out the real cause of death
before the grant will be paid out.
When the death of an official is reported,
the death grant committee, which consists of
six officials appointed by the National Commissioner
will determine the cause of death
in order to approve or disapprove an application.
The investigation will include getting
the beneficiaries’ names and upon completion
of the investigation, findings will be presented
before the committee by the investigating
officer. The grant application will be
Young people commemorating Youth Day
that live in our country.
• Government calls on the youth to
actively oppose the recent intensified
spates of xenophobic attacks
on foreign nationals, expressed
through acts of intense violence and
8 SA Corrections Today
approved by the National Commissioner. If
approved, the grant will be payable. Only legal
beneficiaries of the deceased are allowed
to claim the grant.
Although the grant was originally intended
for officials who work directly with offenders,
officials rendering administrative duties
will also qualify should their death be a result
of violence or accidents that took place in the
course of their duties, said Mr Ndala.
The following documentation will be re-
quired for applications to be processed:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Death certificate
Medical reports if official was admitted
at the hospital prior to his/her death
Identity document of the official
Marriage certificate
Birth certificate of dependants
Identity document of the spouse if he/
she was married
Persal confirmation report
The department’s investigation report
The police’s investigation report and
case number
The supervisor’s report
Grant application report
•
•
The grant will not be payable if an official
died under the following circumstances:
• The official committed suicide or dies as
a result of engagement in corruption e.g.
aiding an escape.
• The official’s death was the result of his/
her own gross negligence.
• The official died in a car accident and
upon investigation it was found that the
accident was due to the official’s own
negligence e.g. driving under the influence
of alcohol.
inhumanity.
These acts are a threat to our historical
achievements as a nation.
We cannot forget the hospitality that
was given to South Africans, especially
to young people who were in
exile in neighbouring countries during
the days of apartheid
Government calls on all youth organisations
to ensure that all people
in South Africa, including foreign nationals,
are protected from violence
and are encouraged to actively oppose
any violence and to report any
such acts to relevant authorities.
The youth are encouraged to use
every opportunity to educate South
Africans about the need to co-exist
with foreign nationals. This includes
improving refugees’ access to fundamental
rights, enhancing refugees’
means of self- reliance and
expanding opportunities for durable
solutions.

The aim was to address mutual concerns
between management and
parole boards, orientate the parole
boards on combating fraud and corrup-
tion and to raise awareness of the different
incidences and forms of corrupt practices,
especially pertaining to the work of
parole boards.
Chief Deputy Commissioner Corrections,
Mr Teboho Motseki opened the
session and said parole board members
M A N A G E M E N T N E W S
Parole Board work session
addresses corruption By Dimakatso Mokwena
The department held a two-day workshop for chairpersons
and vice-chairpersons of Correctional Supervision and Parole
Boards (CSBP) from all the management areas towards the
end of March in Kempton Park, Gauteng.
Parole Board chairpersons and vicechairpersons
had time to informally chat
about the issues addressed during the work
session.
Parole Boards get high-level support
By Piet de Bruin
Minister Balfour officially opened the new offices of the Parole
Board at Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape on 7 April.
This preceded an Imbizo in the community
of Kirkwood, which was attended
by the Regional Commissioner of the
Eastern Cape, the mayor of the Sundays River
Valley and representatives of other departments,
local government and NGOs. All the
Parole Board members in the Eastern Cape
were also present.
Although there are a number of new parole
board offices countrywide, this was the
first in the country to be officially opened by
the Minister. The new offices have been designed
to support an image of professionalism,
which are expected from the new community-based
parole boards.
Minister Balfour emphasised that offenders
are considered for parole based on a number
should avoid being enticed to commit
corruption by being firm on correctional
officials who may joke about wanting to
receive a ‘favour’. He said corruption
may start as a joke or a ‘favour’ but it has
severe consequences. He added that
one’s willingness to engage in corruption
defines one’s character.
Mr Motseki also spoke about the importance
of consistency in decision making,
referring to instances in which parole
boards granted parole, only to have the
Correctional Supervision and Parole Review
Board (Review Board) overturning
the decisions taken by the CSPB.
Mr Motseki also referred to known situations
whereby corrupt officials transfer
an offender after an unsuccessful parole
application to another correctional centre
with the aim that the offender might be
granted parole there.
Representing the Departmental Investigation
Unit, Pieter Killian spoke about the
department’s code of conduct and principles
of fraud and corruption. He said
fraud is when you change something for
your own benefit and corruption is paying
Minister Balfour unveils the plaque.
of factors. Even though accomplices in a
crime might think that they should all be released
at the same time, the different roles
each individual played in the crime, personality
factors and each offender’s response to
APRIL/MAY 2008
someone to do you a ‘favour’. He also
referred to cases in which a parole board
granted parole, only to have the Review
Board revoke the decision, raises a lot of
questions.
National chairperson of the Review
Board and chairperson of National Council
of Correctional Services, Judge Seraj
Desai addressed the concerns of the re-
Deputy Commissioner of Social
Reintegration, Ms Sharon Kunene bonded
with work session attendants during coffee
break.
view board. He said the Review Board
was particularly concerned about the
quality of decision making and motivations
given for decisions made by parole
boards. During the session he handed
over the judgements of the Review Board
to all chairpersons of parole boards and
requested them to take note of the reasons
formulated and to ensure that they
build on that for the future.
Parole Boards were requested to respect
each other’s decisions and not to
bow to pressure from offenders to release
them.
the correctional environment and rehabilitation
programmes will dictate their release
date.
He said the transfer of offenders should be
screened carefully to prevent offenders from
obtaining transfers in view of getting a parole
date from another parole board. He also cautioned
parole boards not to contradict each
other’s decisions.
After unveiling the plaque, the delegation
moved to the rugby field for the Imbizo
where the Minister also handed the keys of
six newly acquired cars to the Chairpersons
of the Parole Boards. The Regional Commissioner
has acknowledged that Parole Boards
are not always provided with sufficient transport
to enable them to perform effectively
and has acquired the vehicles specifically for
the parole boards. The Minister also handed
the keys of vehicles over to the Community
Corrections offices in the region and reminded
officials that it should go a long way
in improving service delivery to the communities.

Construction phase of correctional
centre in Kimberley is BEE compliant
By Dimakatso Mokwena
The construction of the new correctional centre in Kimberley
continues full steam ahead. This multi-million rand project was
employing 1 300 people at the end of April this year and they
consist of the youth, ex-offenders and women.
As part of community empowerment,
there are sub-contractors within the
project and they are females.
Of the 00 people working on the construction
site, are women, are ex-offenders
and 00 are youth from the National
Youth Service (NYS). The employment of
the 00 youth is part of the government’s
initiative to train and employ the youth. The
Affirmative action: women are doing it for
themselves.
NYS students are trained in building construction,
carpentry, electrical installation,
plastering and plumbing. The first group of
students started in August 200 and completed
their programme in April this year. The
on-site training of these students cost R .
million. It is expected that a second group
of 80 students will start training in July this
year, said the senior project manager, Mr
F A C I L I T I E S N E W S
Progressive: the new correctional centre in Kimberley is expected to be completed in June
2009.
Hannes Marais.
The percentage of work awarded to subcontractors
is 2 .8% and the monetary value
of work awarded to sub-contracts is R
million.
Gone are the days when a woman’s place
was in a kitchen.
The challenges that may delay the work
are:
• bad weather conditions
• countrywide steel shortages – steel price
has escalated by about 0%
• load-shedding by Eskom
• shortage of qualified artisans
• price escalations of raw materials
The project achievements that the department
can be proud of are:
• employment of ex-offenders because
this means that the skills offenders
learned while incarcerated are helping
them in getting employment
0 SA Corrections Today
• employment of 8 locals because it
•
forms part of the government’s promise
of creating jobs and fighting poverty
employment of 00 students from NYS
who successfully completed their training
because the government aims to empower
the youth
The financial indicators of the project
state that financing of the project is from
the department’s capital works budget. The
estimated final cost of the project is R815
million, including consulting and construction
costs. The money already spent on the
project by 0 April was R 8 million.
Building structure and security
All the buildings are single-storey and of
reinforced concrete structures with brick
walls, concrete ceilings with sheet metal roof
covering. External work consists of security
walls, covered walkways, paving, roads and
parking lots, fencing, gates, holding areas
and sports fields. State-of-the-art security
measures have been incorporated into the de-
Under construction: the youth is trained in
construction skills, amongst others.
sign of the correctional centre and it will be
enable implementation of the department’s
modern offender management system, biometric
readers, cell phone detection and key
tracking facility for high security key management.
SA Corrections Today travelled to the site
to witness the progress made and to talk to
workers who are employed there. The team
spoke to safety officer Rogaya Platjies to find
out if there have been any casualties on the
site. “We only had a few people who had minor
injuries. We make sure that nobody gets
injured while on duty by employing safety
strategies,” she said.
When asked about how it feels to work on
a big building site, Dikeledi Tlhokwe who is
an assistant to bricklayers said: “I’m proud
to be working here and it shows that it’s not
only men who can do a job of this nature.
I feel great because one day I will tell my
children that I participated in building this
facility,” she said.
The centre will house a total of 000 adult
male offenders and is expected to be completed
in 200 .

R E H A B I L I TAT I O N
Hip jazz band in the making
By Dimakatso Mokwena
Photos: Jacques Meyer
The first time I saw the Pretoria Central Jazz Band perform
at one of the department’s functions I thought to myself:
“The department must have paid a nifty sum for these guys to
perform here”. To my surprise I was later told they are a group
of offenders from Pretoria Correctional Centre.
That was in March 2007 and I got
used to being entertained by their
charming melodies each time they
performed at events. I was even slightly
disappointed when they were not invited.
I learned that other officials felt the same
way about the band.
Drummist Senzile Sila is an expert in
playing drums and his contribution to the
band is appreciated.
Then I decided to go to Pretoria Central
and interview the band members for this
edition. They arranged to perform before
the interview. They changed their attire
and put on their performing costumes.
I sat down and got ready to watch yet
another riveting show. When they were
singing their second song I started tapping
my feet and my colleague, who was
already dancing, pulled me from my seat.
I am not much of a dancer but as Sepedi
idiom puts it, sa koša ke lerole, which is
loosely translated as one can never be a
bad dancer. What makes the band special
in my opinion is that they bring a special
aura to their tunes and that makes it
easy for everyone to dance along.
Reflection of diversity
What makes the group even more interesting
is that it comprises of different
age groups – guys in their mid-twenties
to late forties. The members complement
each other in that they offer both
jazz expression and dancing. Whenever
I watched them perform I saw a band full
of enthusiasm for what they love – making
music. They perform popular songs
by artists such as Oliver Mtukuzi and Sipho
Gumede.
I asked them to perform a piece that
they had composed themselves. They
rendered a heart-wrenching song titled
‘Yesterday I cried’. It had me thinking
about the things that we do in our daily
lives and the impact it has on other people.
Before I knew it, I was all emotional
but I kept a solemn face.
The experience
I asked one of the band members, Fix
Lebotsa, how the song came about. His
reply had me thinking that the guy is living
up to his nickname, Fix. “We’ve done
terrible things in our past and we regret
what we did. Yesterday I was not the person
I am today and the things that I did
then, make me cry when I think about
them. Although our past affects where
we are today, we cannot dwell too much
on that but have to focus on fixing things
by reassessing our lives,” he said. “Now
I know I want to be a recording artist,”
he added. When I looked into his eyes, I
saw a normal man with dreams.
Drummer and vocalist, Senzile Sila
said: “Music is in me and I love being part
of the band because I’m learning a lot. I
know one day I will be somebody.”
Fix and Senzile are skilled in playing
instruments and in singing.
I asked the band’s lead guitarist, Rudy
Hudson whether he was related to Hollywood
film actress, Jennifer Hudson but
he just shrugged his shoulders. Rudy
has been singing long before he found
himself in Pretoria Central.
Band leader and co-founder, Evans
Mdaldla oozes self confidence and calm.
When talking to him I realised it had to
APRIL/MAY 2008
do with the fact that he was due to be
released. “I am going to miss the band
members because I spent a lot of time
with them,” he said.
Not just music to the ears
The band’s success fits in neatly with
the department’s goal of rehabilitating
offenders and equipping them with skills
that will help them when released. Upon
their release, each band member will
have something to fall back on. To crown
it all, the band members are studying
Lead guitarist Rudy Hudson says he fell
in love the guitar at an early age. In the
middle is saxophonist Fix Lebotsa who says
he is working towards amending his past
mistakes.
music with Unisa. “The band offers these
offenders an opportunity to do their practical
learning as required by their syllabus,”
said Matthews Mafoko, Sectional
Head of Sports and Recreation. I asked
him how they chose the offenders to play
in the band. “In January we place an advert
on the notice board for those who
would like to study music and we register
them with Unisa before March,” he said.
After completion of the course, which
stretches over four years, the offenders
will each have a diploma in music.
Some of the offenders in the band serve
as tutors to new students and Unisa also
sends a lecturer to them. Unisa Music
Foundation sponsors the tuition fees and
even bought some of their equipment.
The Pretoria Central Jazz Band started
in 2005 but groundwork of getting sponsors
and equipment started in 2003 already.
Since its inception, the band has
performed for President Thabo Mbeki at
the Union Building and at many events of
the 16 Days of Activism Against women
and Children Abuse campaigns around
Gauteng.

Business unusual: the first shift starts earlier, so does the roll-call.
Johannesburg Medium C makes history
7-Day Establishment pilot phase
launched By Dimakatso Mokwena
It is not every management area that gets to launch a project
of international standard that will set an example to all the
country’s correctional centres. Johannesburg Medium C took
a giant leap on April as it launched the pilot phase of the
-Day Establishment, and it was certainly not an April Fool’s
joke.
The new shift system started at
18h00 on 31 March and all went
smooth, said officials who observed
the change-over.
The launch was officiated by Chief
Deputy Commissioner (CDC) Corporate
Services, Mr Alfred Tsetsane, Gauteng
Deputy Regional Commissioner, Mr
Freddie Engelbrecht and Johannesburg
Area Commissioner, Mr Kenny Bouwer.
They were enthusiastic yet realistic
about this giant leap to adhere more fully
to the prescribes of the White Paper on
Corrections.
Hmmm … the new shift schedule looks
interesting.
Labour representation
At the launch, correctional officials who
belong to various labour unions, some of
whom are shop stewards, pledged their
S T R AT E G I C P R O J E C T S
support for the project. Although everyone
acknowledged that it will not be plain
A task team member busy monitoring
implementation
sailing throughout, a tangible spirit of cooperation
and collective effort prevailed.
It emerged that this management area
was definitely not resting on its laurels
because shift schedules were already
being developed for implementation at
the Female Centre, for instance.
Career pathing
Mr Tsetsane said the 7-Day Establishment
ties in with the departmental aim to
provide better career pathing for correctional
officials who are in the business
of corrections. He said the department
was busy negotiating with labour and
2
SA Corrections Today
the DPSA on career pathing as a correctional
official (Occupation-Specific Dispensation,
commonly known as OSD).
Since the officials will be working
twelve hours per shift, Mr Tsetsane said
their welfare will be looked into because
one’s body gets tired when working such
long hours. “The welfare of our officials
is important to us and we intend to give
them breaks in between,” he said.
Mr Tsetsane furthermore announced
that four officials from Johannesburg will
be traveling to Britain and Denmark to
learn how these countries implemented
the seven-day work week concept in
their correctional system. The delegation
will be led by Mr Tsetsane and will leave
on 14 June and return on 21 June.
The launch was preceded by a tour of
Johannesburg Medium C. It provided an
opportunity for senior managers to en-
Disruption to the daily routine should be
minimal and ABET classes, for instance,
continue as usual.
gage with officials on the ground about
the impact that challenges such as staff
shortages, may have on the 7-Day Establishment’s
implementation.
Mr Engelbrecht said Johannesburg
Medium was indeed making history and
the centre will be measured by the success
or failure of the pilot phase. He said
the department aims to iron out all the
problems during the pilot phase to ensure
that other management areas will
follow suit with further implementation
on 1 July.
Task team monitors every step of the way
Mr Kenny Bouwer gave assurance that
his task team, who designed the shift
model and who will closely monitor and
evaluate the pilot’s implementation, have
all their wits about them. The task rests
on their shoulders to provide detailed
feedback and also to assist in problem
solving as they develop deeper insights
into the workability of the model.

S T R AT E G I C P R O J E C T S
7- Day Establishment comes
into effect By
Phumzile Kotane
Commissioner Vernie Petersen has told
members of the Portfolio Committee
on Correctional Services that much
caution needs to be taken as the
department begins the process of
implementing the -Day Establishment.
Commissioner Petersen led a delegation
on 24 June to brief parliamentarians
on the progress made so far
and highlighted some of the challenges.
He said the phasing-in of the project is
going ahead on 1 July even though not
all the regions were ready to begin. He
emphasised that this was not an event
but a process which must be undertaken
with care.
He said discussions with the Department
of Public Service and Administration
(DPSA) on the Occupation Specific
Dispensation (OSD) were still continuing
and presented challenges for the implementation
of the 7-Day Establishment
because there are elements of the OSD
which have a direct impact on the 7-
Day.
Project Manager Denzil Jones said even
though some regions were not ready, the
plan was to ensure that every region
must have at least one centre ready for
7-Day Establishment pilot spreads to
Johannesburg Female Centre
By Samantha Ramsewaki
During April the task team at Medium C
identified and solved several teething
problems which allowed the implementation
to spread to the Female Centre.
It was therefore not surprising that at 0 h00
on 2 April, with the start of the new shift
system, the female centre was abuzz with excitement
as officials gathered to test the 12hour
shift pattern.
Although the staff component does not
meet all the requirements for the ideal project
pilot, Centre Coordinator Staff Support,
Salome Botha and her team consulted with
officials to find a workable solution for the
roll-out. “We will also focus on ensuring
that Centres of Excellence are able to
implement on 1 July because they
are better staffed than other centres.
Regions will also be asked to identify
staff with former work study experience
to drive the process.”
Chief Deputy Commissioner
(CDC) Alfred Tsetsane said the
pilot run at the Johannesburg
Management Area since
April this year has provided
key lessons. Among them
is the need for additional
staff and the fact that the
new shift system supports
compliance with
the three meal system.
It has also afforded
the opportunity for the
training of staff on the
Offender Rehabilitation
Path. Moreover,
A month after the 7-Day Establishment pilot project was
launched in Johannesburg Medium C, the Female Centre
declared themselves ready to also implement it and went ahead
on 29 April.
Officials eagerly awaiting the launch of the
7-Day work week in the female centre.
shortcomings.
An added boost to staff morale was the visit
by National Commissioner, Mr Vernie Petersen
a day before the launch. He assured
APRIL/MAY 2008
CDC Tsetsane said they have realised
that the implementation should not take a
one-size-fits-all approach. He said each
m a n a g e -
ment area
will have
to cater for
their unique
needs. “For
e x a m p l e ,
the 12-hour
shift system
may not be
necessary in
smaller centres
and therefore the
current 8-hour system
may still suffice,”
he added.
Mr Tsetsane said the
department was busy
conducting a National Establishment
Audit so that
lessons learnt from Johannesburg
can be used to develop
an implementation guide
for the national roll-out. He also
mentioned that other regions are
visiting (Johannesburg) to extract
lessons.
CDC Tsetsane said there were
ongoing discussions with labour
organisations to finalise the policy
document which will guide the resolution
and it will then be signed with
labour unions.
officials that the 7-Day Establishment system
had come to stay. He also reminded them that
many of the problems they experience were
there long before the -Day system.
As the first shift drew to a close, the project
task team visited several units where interviews
were conducted with unit managers,
nursing staff and security personnel to note
the views and experiences of the day. It was
reassuring that officials were satisfied with
the shift schedule, which offers them more
days off to spend with their family. Medical
staff at Female Centre and Medium C expressed
their enthusiasm for the project and
requested to be accommodated into the 2hour
shift pattern.
The reason behind the success of this
project at Johannesburg lies largely with the
task team that is not dominated by top management.
The task team, consisting of two
directors, centre coordinators of staff support
and operational support, unit managers, communication
officials and labour organisations
are all playing a significant role in drawing
member support and commitment.

Don’t let your past determine your
future By Nandipha Ramadikela
Charmaine Phillips-Rabie is grateful to the Department of
Correctional Services, the Human Rights Commission and the
justice system for giving her a second chance in life.
She was sentenced in Pietermaritzburg
Supreme Court on 23 February
1984 at the age of 20, for four
life sentences.
She was incarcerated at Kroonstad
Correctional Centre. Charmaine said on
her arrival in Kroonstad, she was taken
to the visitors’ room instead of reception.
“I was very cheeky, people mistook my
cheek for aggressiveness – people were
scared of me. I was an angry little girl,”
she said.
Phillips-Rabie apologised for her behaviour
during her first years of incarceration,
saying correctional officials
were good to her and that she still keeps
contact with some of them. “I am proud
of the system, if it was not for it, I would
not be where I am today. I am truly grateful
that even Minister Ngconde Balfour
sometimes checked in on me,” she said.
Today the owner of a salon in Kroonstad,
Charmaine said she grew up in a
broken home and was placed in a children’s
home as a result. Then she ran
away to help her sister who was in trouble,
a decision that also got her into trouble.
Social welfare put her into foster
care. She ran away from there too and
went to Durban beach front as a street
kid.
R E H A B I L I TAT I O N
Contentment. Charmaine Phillips-Rabie plaiting the hair of one of her employees.
She got involved in drugs and prostitution
and then met her co-accused, Pieter
Charmaine Phillips-Rabie looking at some of the
certificates she obtained while incarcerated.
Grundlingh in 1981. From this notorious
relationship grew a partnership in crime.
They were nicknamed “Bonnie and
Clyde” following four murders and several
robberies.
Kroonstad Correctional Centre C, which
is a Centre of Excellence was her home
for 21 years and that is where she was
presented an opportunity to sort out her
chaotic life. “I met my Lord and Saviour
and for the first time I started to believe in
myself,” she said. “I passed matric while
incarcerated, did hairdressing and different
diploma courses.”
SA Corrections Today
She also discovered her artistic talent
and competed in both local and national
art competitions. The little money she
made out of artwork, she sent to her son
and two brothers. At the prison salon,
she was tasked to become a mentor so
that she could pass her skills to fellow
inmates.
“The Department of Correctional Services
recognised that I was truly rehabilitated
after having served 20 years and
they released me on parole in 2004,”
she said. After prison her life was not as
difficult as she thought it was going be.
Charmaine was given a “wonderful opportunity”
by being given work at David’s
Hairstylist and she built up a huge clientele.
She desired to grow further because in
prison people used her as an example
and she did not want to disappoint them.
She started Effective Hairstyling Salon
in her house, which is a registered business.
An accountant takes care of the
books. It has a mellow, homely feel and
does not look commercial and rowdy.
There are paintings (of local artists and
hers) on the wall, a combination of old
and modern furniture (which she put together
with her husband Hennie Rabie),
including a modern basin. The lights in
glass vases give the room a warm glow
and the classical music in the background
brings peace to a customer’s
soul. Indeed a good place to have your
hair done.
The petite woman has also employed
two ladies – one works
during the week and the other on
Saturdays.
Charmaine said although she
received many requests from
schools, churches and rehabilitation
(alcohol) organisations to be a
motivational speaker, she has not
been to many because she wanted
to focus on her business. She
plans to open an art gallery in her
house where people can come for
a cup of coffee.
• Charmaine was recently on Carte
Blanche. During the crew’s visit to Centre
C, Head of the centre, Ms Martie Els
spoke of Phillips-Rabie’s bad behaviour
in the first two years of her incarceration
which changed gradually after she
started participating in rehabilitation programmes.
“She is my hairstylist even outside,”
said Ms Els.
Regional Commissioner, Mr Zach
Modise commended Charmaine for adhering
to her parole conditions.

Ex-offenders are doing it for
themselves By Tshifhiwa Magadani
Mthuthuzeli Cothoza, the founder of Ex-prisoner Education,
Rehabilitation Training and Skills (Experts) believes nothing is
impossible.
And he is living proof of that. Cothoza
served a 20-year term for robbery and
car theft at Pretoria Central and was released
in . When he came out he vowed
that he would not waste his time with crime
anymore. These days he lives according to Dr
Norman Peale words, “You can if you can”.
The organisation Experts is based in
Soshanguve and supports ex-offenders by engaging
them in coffin manufacturing, spraypainting
of cars and mechanics. Experts was
formed in 200 and is currently employing
twenty ex-offenders. “I formed this organisation
in order to assist ex-offenders to have
something to fall on after they have served
their sentence so as to minimise re-offending
behaviour,” said Cothoza.
Cothoza emphasised the fact that government
alone cannot solve the high rate of unemployment
and that communities must join
hands to assist. He also explained that it was
not only ex-offenders who benefited from
Cothoza believes nothing is impossible and
says the same applies to self-employment.
From drug addict and gangster to caregiver
By Tshifhiwa Magadani
A rehabilitated drug addict and gangster has opened his arms
to street children. Trevor Mkhize, who hails from KwaZulu-
Natal is looking after orphaned children in Salvokop, Pretoria.
To many people, looking after street
children may seem like a daunting
task but for Trevor it is like any other
job, and one that he loves on top of it.
Trevor established a shelter for orphaned
and street children in 2003 and
it houses about 30 children between the
ages 8 and18.
When asked why he decided to take
care of street children, he replied: “Being
a former gangster and a drug addict, I fully
understand the rough and difficult conditions
of life in which these children found
themselves in”. Trevor believes that everyone
should help those less fortunate.
He has a soft spot for the poor because
he grew up in a poverty-stricken family.
“People should refrain from using the
term ‘street kids’ because there is no
street that can bare children. It is the responsibility
of all members of society to
R E H A B I L I TAT I O N
Experts but the whole community benefited
indirectly because, to some extent, they pre-
help those who are less privileged because
in African culture, a child belongs
to the whole community,” he said.
Trevor Mkhize (third from left in front row)
with children from his shelter, Child Soul
Care display trophies they have won in
tournaments.
Trevor served time in Johannesburg
Correctional Centre of four years and
he was still grateful for the role that the
APRIL/MAY 2008
vent re-offending.
Cothoza talked animatedly during the interview
but frowned when asked about the
factors that might be affecting their work
negatively. With an open hand on his chin
he confessed that financial back-up was their
main obstacle.
“The community should play a role in
rehabilitating and accepting ex-offenders
back,” said Mr Mnyakeni, the landlord of
the premise where Experts operate from. Mr
Mnyakeni seemed to be well informed about
the White paper on Corrections.
“To give them a space to work in is the
least I can offer since plenty of inmates have
undergone courses in prison, so they must
be kept busy. By so doing they can fend for
themselves and their families.”
It was not hard to twist the director of parolees
and probationers, Mr Ronald Ntuli’s arm
to grant this journalist an interview to hear
and understand what the department does to
support ex-offenders who are eager to start
their own businesses. “The department does
not support ex-offenders financially, but
it tries to link them up with employers and
agencies for instance, such as Khula,” Ntuli
said.
Khula is an independent agency of the Department
of Trade and Industry that provides
financial and mentorship services to small
and medium enterprises through establishing
networks or partnerships.
department played in rehabilitating him.
While incarcerated, he participated in a
number of rehabilitation programmes. A
correctional centre can make you re-assess
your life and start thinking of what
you want to be in life, chuckled Trevor.
“Prison is a place that enables people
who have wronged the society to be rehabilitated
and to lead a good life,” he
said. “When you are sent to prison, two
things can happen – you can learn to be
a worse thug than before or you can use
the time inside to rebuild yourself.”
Trevor teaches the children he looks after
what he had learned during his incarceration.
He teaches them carpentry and
welding. His shelter in Pretoria, Child Soul
Care, accommodates children from as far
as Venda. Some of the children from his
shelter have matriculated and two of them
are furthering their studies at the University
of South Africa.
His boys also participate in sports competitions
and they are doing well. The
boys have won five trophies in tournaments
and Trevor never stops praising
them. Last year September his boys won
a trophy in the annual Tshwane Allied
Street Children soccer tournament.

Setting a good example to
offenders
[This article is reprinted with permission from Prison Service News,
the official newsletter of the prison service in the UK. It was written by
Stephen Shaw, Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.]
When I was a smoker, I used to like
seeing film stars and celebrities
with a cigarette in hand. Somehow
the behaviour of others (and others far
more glamorous and wealthy than I was)
lent implicit endorsement to my own
weakness and folly. It was somehow
legitimate to do something stupid and
harmful because others were doing the
same.
Let us hope that banning workplace
smoking is helping staff and prisoners
lose their fatal fascination with tobacco.
I am not normally one for banning things,
but the health benefits of stopping smoking
speak for themselves. Mind you, on
a recent visit to a Young Offender Institution
I was not happy to see staff huddled
around a so called smoking point in the
open air. I was not sure that sent a very
good signal to the young people in their
charge.
Many prisoners seem to seek legitimacy
for their own vices in the misdeeds of
others. And that is one very good reason
why the behaviour of police and prison
staff has to be beyond reproach.
In the old days it would have been
called setting a good example. Now the
academic call it pro-social modeling.
It not only refers to big matters such
as adherence to the rules, working hard
and so on, that the example of staff matters
as much as it does. It is in the small
things too: turning off lights, not slamming
doors and juggling keys at night,
Follow supply chain procedures
correctly By Sentebaleng Shiko
The Chief Directorate Supply Chain Management recently
released a circular pertaining to the introduction of products or
services to the department. The circular alerted officials to make
sure that they follow the correct procedures when approached
by companies.
OOfficials are often approached by company
representatives who want to introduce
new products or services they
can provide to the department.
According to Procurement Director, Ms
Dikeledi Tshabalala, Chapter 2 of the Supply
Chain Management User Manual stipulate
the procedures that must be followed when
R E G I O N A L N E W S
representatives approach the department.
She said that in most instances, the companies
request to either:
• Introduce their products for testing purposes
• Loan equipment for trial purposes
• Launch a pilot project free of charge to
the department
The circular states that Procurement Units
may accept goods offered on loan for trial
purposes, provided that it is made clear to the
company that the department is under no obligation
to purchase the loaned goods, or any
similar goods.
Furthermore, it must be clear that the department
will not be held responsible for any
breakage or damage during the use or testing
of the loan product. The duration for the usage
of the loan products must be minimal.
“When representatives of companies approach
the department, requesting to market
their products or services, own discretion
must be used on whether to afford these
SA Corrections Today
answering questions honestly, saying
sorry when you’ve made a mistake, leading
a healthy lifestyle, the whole decency
agenda in other words.
That includes avoiding the use of profanity.
Now I am not going to pretend that
I have given up bad language in the way
that I (eventually) gave up tobacco. But
I do absolutely believe that if staff pepper
their exchanges with swear words it
is not surprising if prisoners will do likewise.
It is the famous broken-window
syndrome (leave one window unmended
and someone will smash the rest) applied
to language.
Years ago there was a famous study
of schools that proved just how much influenced
individual teachers have upon
children’s attainment. Holding all other
factors constant (size of school, resources,
catchment area), the best teachers
make all the difference: helping students
achieve and develop no matter what the
circumstances. I am utterly convinced
that the same thing applies in prisons.
The way staff behave with, and in front
of prisoners may have more impact on
rehabilitation that any number of courses
and offending behaviour programmes.
companies an audience or not and the final
approval must be at least at director-level,”
Ms Tshabalala added.
Certain information may not be shared
Ms Tshabalala said that information such
as the number of personnel employed may
not be shared with prospective suppliers as
this can put them in an advantageous position
should the department decide to procure
their product through the correct procurement
process.
No written comment on the acceptability/
quality may be given to prospective suppliers,
because it may create expectations that
the department will procure their product/
service.
Officials should refrain from actions that
may commit the department to any liability
in respect of the products marketed by any
prospective supplier.
If after testing of the samples or the demonstration
of services rendered, the end-user
indicates that there is a need for such a commodity/service,
the normal procurement
process must be followed in order to be in
line with Section 2 of the South African
Constitution. This section states that all public
institutions must procure through a competitive
bidding system to give all potential
suppliers equal opportunity to bid for the
supply of goods/services.
It is therefore of the utmost importance that
no agreement must be entered into with prospective
suppliers prior to following the normal
bidding process.

Restorative Justice success By Debbie Bosch
A rape victim has made peace with a parolee who violated her.
This was possible thanks to a restorative justice programme that
parolee Ngalo Dodani participated in during his incarceration in
Kirkwood Correctional Centre.
He was sentenced to 0 years imprisonment
in October 200 on two counts
of rape.
During his incarceration, Ngalo participated
in rehabilitation programmes that are in line
with his offence. He took part in programmes
such as Days of Activism Against Women
and Children Abuse, aggressive behaviour
control and restorative justice among others.
In October 200 , Ngalo applied for parole
and appeared before a Correctional Supervision
and Parole Board (CSPB) but his application
wasn’t successful. He was however,
encouraged to maintain good behaviour.
In the restorative justice programme Ngalo
was advised to call his victim and apologise
for his actions. After marshalling enough
courage in early 200 , he called the victim,
Buyiswa Tsenene, to apologise and she forgave
him.
Ngalo appeared again before the parole
Poortjie residents get houses
By Isaac Dhludhlu
A
group of offenders equipped with
skills they have acquired in rehabilitation
programmes, such as bricklaying,
plastering, and carpentry recently
DCS officials, offenders who built the
houses and local government officials ready
to hand over the new houses
‘invaded’ a small informal settlement,
Poortjie. The purpose was to showcase
their skills by giving back to the communities
that they have offended. They built
two houses that were donated to disabled
and elderly members of the community.
Various sponsors from the private sector
funded the project and credit should
go to them and to the correctional officials
who ensured safety and security
R E G I O N A L N E W S
board in November 200 and his application
was approved.
But the most surprising thing that has happened
since his release is that he has become
friends with Buyiswa.
During a Ministerial Imbizo in April in
Kirkwood Management Area, Ngalo not
only publicly apologised to Buyiswa but also
apologised to all the women who attended
the Imbizo. ”I have been able to turn my
life around because of the platforms created
by Correctional Services. My incarceration
changed the way I looked at life,” he said.
“No one can justify rape. It is inhumane and
I encourage offenders to try and apologise to
their victims. I am sorry about my past and
I wish all the women here can forgive me,”
he added. After his speech, the Minister congratulated
and exchanged handshakes with
Ngalo and Buyiswa for making Restorative
Justice a success.
and a high standard of work.
Deputy Minister Loretta Jacobus said
at the handing over ceremony that her
department also tried to promote the
mandate of the national government of
ensuring a better life for all. She urged
the private sector to continue improving
the living conditions of poor people, and
to employ offenders to break the cycle of
crime.
This is finished product that was built by
offenders
Bafana Majola, an offender, thanked
the housing department and DCS for giving
them the opportunity to showcase the
skills they have acquired while incarcerated
and added that they were ready to
face the challenges of life.
APRIL/MAY 2008
Mr Jacques Snyman (standing) and Mr
Gaston Fillies with one of the families in the
Riversdale district who received toys and
clothes
Mossel Bay
Community
Corrections bring
joy to children
By Johan Pienaar
On Easter Sunday, members from
Mossel Bay Community Corrections
touched the lives of all the
children from Vermaaklikheid, a remote
community in the Riversdale district.
By being involved in the various communities
which they serve, community
Mr Jacques Snyman (left) handing out
toys and Easter eggs to the children of
Vermaaklikheid while Mr Gaston Fillies
looks on
corrections officials have firsthand experience
of the poverty and needs of the
people. To alleviate some of the daily
stresses they came up with the idea to
collect soft toys and Easter eggs to be
handed out to the children of Vermaaklikheid
during Easter. Thanks to an
anonymous donor from Mossel Bay and
a member from Community Corrections,
enough toys, sweets and clothing were
collected to make it possible.
Not only did they hand out clothes to
the adults of that area as well, but also to
families in other poverty-stricken areas.

Fitness challenge
for employees
By Sentebaleng Shiko
Fitness and fun was the name of the game
when head office officials participated in a
five km fun walk at the Pretoria Central Correctional
Centre on 2 April.
Although to some participants the walk was
a chance to show off their fitness by finishing
the walk within a few minutes, to some
it was just to rejuvenate their bodies and a
relief from everyday office duties.
Walking with Lolly: Lolly, the dog and
officials from head office enjoyed the fun
walk at the Pretoria Local sports ground.
Assistant Director Internal Communication,
Charmaine Gerber was accompanied by
her dog Lolly and she said group fun walk is
good for team building. “It was fun exercise
and it is important for employees’ wellness.
I wish it could become a monthly exercise,”
she said.
Jennifer Malotane of HR agreed with Charmaine.
She enjoyed the walk so much that
she wished it could become a weekly activity!
“It is part of wellness and wellness is
very crucial, especially to us employees,”
said Malotane.
The day ended with an aerobics class which
officials said was great.
R E G I O N A L N E W S
8 SA Corrections Today
Healthy employees are productive
employees By Sentebaleng Shiko
The department held an Employee Health and Wellness
workshop in Pretoria for Employee Assistance Programme
(EAP) teams from the regions and management areas in April.
The theme was, Healthy Employees
are Productive Employees. On the
first day, DCS and the Department
of Public Service and Administration
(DPSA) presented their wellness strategies.
Although the presentations were
different, they both had one common
idea, employees’ health and wellness is
important.
Deputy Commissioner of Equity and
Recreation, Mr Hento Davids said it was
important for employees to stay healthy
because their productiveness in the
workplace relied on their wellbeing.
Director of Sports and Recreation
Pravesh Bhoodram echoed Mr Davids’s
words and said management should
support employees’ wellbeing. “Manag-
Viva good governance
The department recently terminated the services of five officials found guilty
of improper conduct at Krugersdorp Management Area after an internal disciplinary
process. The department thereby sent a clear message of zero
tolerance towards human rights abuses within its facilities.
The officials were implicated in the death of three inmates in 2007. Seven inmates
were assaulted by Correctional Services officials at Krugersdorp Correctional
Centre following an inter-gang fight that broke out among the offenders.
The officials were suspended and an internal investigation was conducted resulting
in a number of officials being charged and brought before a disciplinary inquiry.
They subsequently appealed against the sanction, but the appeal authority
in the department confirmed their dismissal.
Regional Commissioner of Gauteng, Advocate Thozama Mqobi said the few
correctional officials violating the prescripts of the department will be dealt with
appropriately.
ers must be educated on how to look at
what will add value in an organization
because if the workplace is strenuous for
employees they will be reluctant to come
to work,” he said. Mr Bhoodram also said
if an employee is not happy at work he/
she will not be able to focus and supervisors
should make an effort to understand
their staff’s needs.
Wellness can be unpacked into three
categories, namely spiritual wellness,
body wellness and mind wellness,
he said. “Spiritual wellness needs to
strengthen the inner person in you to
keep well. Body wellness refers to the
physical wellness of a person and to
keep well in this area one should exercise
regularly. Mind wellness is about
being positive and motivated to maintain
one’s sanity even when there is a heavy
workload,” he continued.
Mr Bhoodram said there was a need for
the department to provide HIV and AIDS
workplace programmes aimed at educating
and training employees. He added
that the department needed a productive
workforce and one way of achieving this
was by creating a non-discriminatory environment
through extramural activities
such as sport.
Dr Margaret Crawage from DPSA said
often employees complain about lack of
support from management. She said:
“Management needs to be drivers of programmes
such as employee wellness.
She too said that employees’ mental,
physical and spiritual wellness is vital in
any organisation.

Siyalingana, we
are equal
By Sentebaleng Shiko
Siyalingana is the Gender Directorate’s
slogan and its meaning was unpacked at
a four day gender empowerment workshop
held in Pretoria from 21 to 25 April.
The directorate has developed a Gender
Empowerment Manual which was presented
and discussed during the workshop.
Women Empowerment and Capacity
Building Deputy Director, Ms Patricia
Mahlobogoane said the manual was developed
to assist in the process of mainstreaming
gender issues in the department.
An exercise on the second day of the
Scooping gold at Rand Show
By Samantha Ramsewaki
The Rand Show in April saw DCS as
the focus of exhibitor envy as it took
gold in the government awards category.
Scooping silver was the Department
of Housing and SARS got bronze.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Exhibition content included:
Management of Remand Detainees
through the Inmate Tracking System
Victim Empowerment
Parole and Correctional Supervision
Security Systems
Offender Programmes
Societal Responsibility
Touch screens displayed messages
from offenders focusing on societal
R E G I O N A L N E W S
workshop stirred up emotions from those
who attended the workshop, each person
was requested to write down the
gender related challenges they have
experienced or problems they have encountered
within their relationships. The
motive of the exercise was to help people
to handle gender issues better in their
families and in the workplace.
A video on gender-based violence was
also played to demonstrate the impact
this has on the economy and on society.
Ms Mahlobogoane explained the role of
a gender focal person, saying this person
is responsible for ensuring that gender issues
are routinely considered in departmental
strategic planning exercises and
policies. She encouraged all staff members
to attend the gender empowerment
workshops which have already started in
all the regions, including head office.
responsibility aspects.
Upon entering the department’s stand,
a picture was taken at the registration
desk by a webcam and after being escorted
through the stand by an official,
the visitor’s picture was printed on a certificate
showing them behind bars. This
was rather popular among parents who
insisted that mug-shots of their children
were taken to demonstrate that that
should be the closest they ever come to
being behind bars.
The interactive design with touch
screens, plasma screens and cctv control
enhanced the public’s understanding
of the department’s core functions.
APRIL/MAY 2008
National Commissioner, Vernie Petersen
and The President’s Award’s Martin Scholtz
accept the Silver Award from Vuyiswa
Sidzumo of the Charles Stewart Mott
Fourteen-year
partnership
for youth
empowerment
recognised
The Impumelelo Awards for
Innovation Trust recognised the
outstanding partnership between
the department and The President’s
Award at a prestigious function at the City
Hall in Cape Town on 17 May. National
Commissioner, Mr Vernie Petersen
and Mr Martin Scholtz, the CEO of The
President’s Award accepted the Silver
Award on behalf of their respective
organisations.
The awards are oveseen by Dr Franklin
Sonn, Chairman of Impumelelo, and
Executive Director, Rhoda Kadalie , who
said at the ceremony that the awards
seek to recognise effective and innovative
public/private partnerships and “to
recognise unsung heroes of this country”.
The President’s Award’s READY Programme
(Reintegration and Diversion
for Youth) started in St Albans Correctional
Centre with 21 young people in
1994. Since then close on 27 000 young
people from correctional centres across
the country have been involved with the
award programme. There are currently
over 2 000 inmates from 65 correctional
centres in five provinces involved.
“This award would not have been possible
without the support we get from
both the Minister and the Deputy Minister,
the National Commissioner, Regional
Commissioners, Area Commissioners,
Heads of Centres and of course the DCS
members who work with the young people
in correctional centres. It really is a
phenomenal partnership!” said Martin
Scholtz, CEO of the President’s Award
for Youth Empowerment.

Commissioner Petersen interacting with some of the foreign nationals who have been
displaced.
No to public violence By
Patrick Thobejane
The chilly morning weather of Boksburg was not enough to stop
National Commissioner, Vernie Petersen on 25 May from leading
by example when he visited victims of the recent xenophobic
attacks in Boksburg Management Area.
Commissioners from Ghana and Zambia
accompanied Mr Petersen as they also
did rounds to the Boksburg correctional
facility. It was revealed that at that time
Boksburg was housing adults, under
2 ’s and three under 8’s who were detained
for public violence relating to the xenophobic
attacks.
After the discussions, the visitors toured the
correctional centre. The national commissioner
of Ghana, William Asiedu, was impressed
with the facilities and said he would
like to emulate some of what he had seen.
The visit to the victims’ place of safety in
Vosloorus then followed. The commissioners
from Ghana and Zambia had the opportunity
to interact with the foreign nationals who had
fled their homes.
The visit of the African dignitaries was part
of a larger gathering of ten African Ministers
I am an African
I owe my being to the San whose
desolate souls haunt the great expanses
of the beautiful Cape – they
who fell victim to the most merciless
genocide our native land has
ever seen, they who were the first
to lose their lives in the struggle to
defend our freedom and independence
and they who as a people,
perished as the result.
- By the then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki on the adoption
of the Constitution Bill in 1996.
R E G I O N A L N E W S
of prisons/correctional services that met in
Pretoria on 0 and May to agree on the
formal launch of the continental body, ACSA
(African Correctional Services Association).
Officials from the Department of Home
Affairs gathering data to verify personal
details of the foreign nationals
Boksburg Management Area has since donated
mattresses to the victims and made a
daily donation of bread and vegetables.
TB training for
offenders
By Nokuthula Zikhali
TB is a leading cause of death for
thousands of South Africans each year
and many offenders suffer from the
disease. Medium B offenders in Westville
are seriously engaged in a TB training
course offered by the Department of
Health.
The Directly Observed Treatment
(DOT) Supporters Training has been held
in Medium B for a week and is aimed at
20 SA Corrections Today
Searches ensure
safety at Leeuwkop
By Isaac Dhludhlu
Leeuwkop Medium A Correctional
Centre conducted a thorough search
after hosting their annual family day
for offenders on 2 May. This is in line with
the mandate of the department to provide
safe and secure custody of offenders.
Dagga and sharp knives
The safety of inmates compels the department
to also effectively deal with the
issue of gangs in correctional centres.
Gangs have been a feature of the South
African correctional system over the
past century. Along with the presence of
gangs is a level of violence that may endanger
the safety of other inmates and it
therefore has to be tightly curbed. Gangrelated
violence manifests in many ways,
such as:
•
•
•
•
•
Gang supported fights
Assault and murder
forced sexual activity or rape
Intimidation and coercion
Complicity by correctional officials.
These were some of the items that were
confiscated by officials on 02 May.
This group of offenders from Durban-
Westville successfully completed a TB
training course.
encouraging offenders who are infected
with TB to take their treatment correctly
and to complete the course.

T H E F O R U M • R E A B U A
The Management of Correctional
Services values your opinion and
is eager to obtain feedback from
you on any correctional topic, be it
positive or negative. The Forum/Re
a Bua therfore provides a platform
for staff to share thoughts with
colleagues.
Address your letters to:
The Editor,
SA Corrections Today,
Private Bag X136,
Pretoria 0001
E-mail: estelle.coetzee@dcs.gov.za
Letters must be clearly marked for publication in
SA Corrections Today. The editor reserves the
right to shorten, edit or not to publish any letter.
If a pseudonym is used, the full name of the
writer and his or her physical address must be
provided.
I could have been someone
Crime, crime, crime
I am into crime, I am a criminal
Crime does not pay
I am now a prisoner serving time
Paying the price for my deeds
If I had education
I wouldn’t be in prison
If I had a loving family
I would be leading a better life
If I had education
I would be leading a better life
I cannot count numbers
But I can count from one to three
These are the numbers I know
Education is the key to fighting crime
Crime is the key to downfall
Education is a key to success
I caused grief to many families
Because of lack of knowledge
I caused them great sorrow and misery
I can roll a spliff or a zol of matekoane
I can hold it delicately and tenderly
But I can’t hold a pen or pencil
I can read cigarette names
But I can’t read A E I O U
With an education, I could have been
someone
I could have been like Balfour, Manuel,
Nqcuka, Radebe, Mdladlana or even the
President.
- By offender George Mhlanga of
Losperfontein Correctional Centre
[The poem was slightly shortened – editor]
R E G I O N A L N E W S
Family Day for offenders
In partnership with the Department of
Social Development, officials in Pietermaritzburg
held a family day for
offenders recently. It was graced by the
presence of the MEC for Social Develop-
MEC: Dr M. Radebe, Mandla Mdletshe from
Ukhozi FM, Mzwakhe Mbuli, Inmate from
Med. A and RC Mr Nhleko
ment, Dr Meshack Radebe. He assured
inmates of the support of his department
towards them from the families’ viewpoint.
The Regional Commissioner for KZN,
Mr N. Nhleko emphasised the role families
play at a primary level where corrections
should take place.
Helping Hands orphanage
Deputy Minister Loretta Jacobus made good on her promise to visit the Helping
Hands Orphanage in Paarl recently. Allandale and Drakenstein management areas
have established a sound relationship with Helping Hands through assisting the orphanage
with food donations and making renovations to the home itself. When the
Deputy Minister visited, she pledged ongoing support from the department’s side and
sealed it with a donation of vegetables grown by offenders.
Ms Pricilla Simons, who heads the orphanage, takes care of 240 HIV/AIDS orphans,
some of whom are staying at the home permanently.
APRIL/MAY 2008
One of the most moving performances
of the day was when inmates demonstrated
the Offender Rehabilitation Path
and it included information on the White
Paper on Corrections. It was an eyeopener
to those who were not familiar
with all the systems and programmes in
correctional centres.
Long term serving Inmates from Med. A
in PMB awarded by MEC for their good
conduct.
More than 1000 family members attended
the event. Mr Nhleko concluded
by urging families not to disown their
family members during their term of sentence.
Happy enough. AIDS orphans surround Deputy Minister Jacobus (centre with white blouse).
To the left is Ms Pumla Mathibela, Deputy Regional Commissioner of Western Cape and Ms
Pricilla Simons, head of Helping Hands. Jeremy Matheyse, Area Commissioner of Allandale
Management Area is on the right.
2

Brandvlei members
contribute to poverty
alleviation By Manual Rooms
Poverty affects all population groups
in South Africa and Worcester is no
exception. In response to increasing
economic hardships, the Brandvlei
Feeding Scheme, formerly known as
Give-a-Meal Feeding Scheme, donated
hampers to poverty-stricken families in
the Worcester area. Committee members
of the scheme, in collaboration with
field workers of the Department of Social
Services, identified the needy families in
the community. The hamper included a
blanket, groceries, half a lamb and 10kg
of chicken per family.
Joy to the world: committee members
of the Brandvlei Feeding Scheme, Social
Services’ field workers and happy families
who received hampers at the recent awards
ceremony. Ms. Esther Visagie (far right) is
the patron of the scheme.
The scheme was established by Brandvlei
Correctional Services’ officials as
part of its poverty alleviation initiative.
On a monthly basis, members voluntarily
contribute money to the scheme and it is
managed by a central committee. These
contributions helps to fulfill in the needs
of the poor and needy. Meals are distributed
on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the
TB-clinic in Zwelenthemba.
At a recent award ceremony, the feeding
scheme received the Area Commissioner’s
Special Award for their contribution
to alleviate poverty in the community.
An ode to the youth
Young people in 2008 are confronted
with a different struggle, which needs
to revive the spirit of . They are
growing up in a very different and in many
ways far better world than the apartheid dungeon
in which their fathers and mothers spent
their youth. They have the right to enjoy all
the democratic rights that their parents fought
for and won. They can vote, join a trade union
and enjoy equality under the constitution
and the law.
– Cosatu’s message for 2008 Youth Day
R E G I O N A L N E W S
Allandale reaches out to destitute
A
recent fire at Fairyland, an informal
settlement on the outskirts of Allandale
Management Area, resulted in
seven families losing their homes and all
their belongings. Officials from Allandale
promptly embarked on a project of collecting
clothes, shoes and other household
items to assist these families.
The project was coordinated by Mr I
Arumugam who engaged with local businessman,
Mr Philip Andrews in Paarl who
generously sponsored grocery hampers
to sustain the seven families. Another
local businessman Mr Anthony Bosman
of Wellington also generously provided
chicken pieces.
Mr Dempers, a Senior Correctional Of-
52-year old athlete still wins big
By Manfred Jacobs and Sentebaleng Shiko
Drakenstein Correctional Centre is proud to be associated with
an outstanding veteran sprinter. Joseph Warries (52) still sprints
like a 20-year old and it doesn’t look as if he is going to stop
anytime soon.
He represented the department in
the 2007 World Police and Fire
Games in Adelaide Australia and is
also registered at the University of Western
Cape’s Athletics Club.
On your marks, ready: Joseph gets ready to
speed.
In February, Joseph participated in the
Western Cape Athletics Masters Championship
and won gold in the 100m and
200m sprints as well as in the 4 x 100m
relay. This was in the category for 50–54
years old. In April Joseph won gold in
the 100m and silver in the 200m sprint
at the South African Championships held
in Sasolburg.
His accolades include that of overall
winner of the South African Masters
Athletics Award in 2007. If that kind of
dedication is not enough, he is also a
committee member of the Western Cape
ficial at Allandale, handed over seven
bundles of clothes and shoes to the
Fairyland residents are testimony to what
can be achieved when correctional officials
initiate reaching out projects.
needy families. The affected families expressed
their appreciation for this warm
and kind gesture made by Allandale Correctional
services.
Masters Athletics and assistant coach to
junior athletes.
In the department, Joseph is an Assistant
Director of Finance and will complete
30 years of service within the department
by the end of 2008.
Speaking to SA Corrections Today,
Joseph said he discovered his talent for
running at 15. Although he has achieved
a lot in his career as an athlete, Joseph
said that his best is yet to come and he is
Winning: Joseph with one of his many
awards.
still going strong. “My goal is to break the
12.1 second record in the 100m race in
the 50–54 age group,” he said.
When asked where his inspiration
comes from Joseph said his motto is, “a
healthy body houses a healthy mind”.
Therefore, when one is fit, it is easier to
multi-task and be focused.
22 SA Corrections Today 22

Breyton Paulse (in the suit) and famous soccer player Psunke (in white t-shirt) who will
serve as this football team’s coach.
A first-ever sports academy for
Voorberg offenders By Mariska Pietersen
Voorberg Management Area opened a first-ever sports academy
towards the end of March this year.
The academy will help in the rehabilitation
of offenders and provide
opportunities for those who excel in
the sports arena when released.
The slogan of the academy, “We are
changing our tune in the race of our lives”
ties in with the department’s efforts of rehabilitating
offenders to become socially
responsible individuals.
During the opening of the academy,
sport personalities such as Breyton
Paulse, who is a former Springbok rugby
player, Desiree Ellis, former captain of
Banyana Banyana, Deon Davids, Boland
Rugby players visited the Springboks
By Mariska Pietersen
Twenty two of the most senior rugby
players of the Sports Academy of
Voorberg Management Area and the
first teams of Brandenburg & Willemsvallei
Primary Schools (Adopted schools of
Voorberg Management Area) were privileged
to attend the training camp of the
Springboks at the Danie Craven Stadium
in Stellenbosch just after the final Springbok
squat of 30 players were announced
towards the end of May.
There was a lot of excitement & energy
among the students and offenders
S P O R T N E W S
Cavaliers coach and John Daniels,
Boland Cavaliers right winger graced the
opening with their presence.
The academy will offer four sport codes
namely rugby, cricket, soccer and volleyball.
A total of 106 offenders are currently
participating. The offenders’ performance
will be assessed quarterly. They will be
assessed for their educational progress,
their psychological wellbeing and how
they fare in their chosen sport code.
The rugby and cricket codes are affiliated
with the Boland League, soccer is
affiliated with the South African Football
when they had the opportunity to meet
the Springboks one on one. The event
formed part of an awareness campaign
that rehabilitation is truly happening behind
the high walls and closed gates. Mr
Rassie Erasmus, coach of the Stormers,
was fascinated and showed a lot of interest
in the fact that Voorberg is using its
Sports Academy as a rehabilitation tool.
The Springboks were quite impressed
with the discipline and professional manner
in which the offenders conducted
themselves.
APRIL/MAY 2008
Association and volleyball is in its final
stage of negotiations with the Western
Cape Volleyball League.
All the offenders in the academy are
enrolled in formal educational programmes
and various skills development
programmes.
The Maties Rugby Academy of the University
of Stellenbosch and the Provincial
Department of Sports and Recreation are
partners in the academy and they will assist
with the following:
Maties Rugby Academy
• Facilitating specialised skills development
programmes to both members
and offenders
• Presenting introductory sport management
and sport administration
courses to both members and offenders
• Conducting scientific fitness tests of
offenders
• Facilitating training camps and sport
clinics
• Availing motivational speakers every
second month to address offenders
in the academy
Breyton Paulse (in the suit) and volleyball
coach popularly known as Mbabane with
the academy’s volleyball players.
Provincial Department of Sport and
Recreation
• Assist in the development of offenders
and members by presenting programmes
in the sport arena such as
funding management, events management,
sports law, HIV and Aids
awareness and promotion of healthy
lifestyle workshops. All the courses
are accredited by the University of
the Western Cape
• Inviting offenders to participate in
external tournaments
• Assist in joint programmes
Breyton Paulse encouraged offenders
to focus not only on sport but also
on education. He said sport brings people
together and helps in building one’s
character but because one could only
participate at high level for a limited time
one should back it up by obtaining a
good education.
2

SA Corrections Today
We are being read!
With a readership of over 40 000, SA Corrections
Today is becoming more popular with every
edition. The editorial team asked some readers
about what they think of their very own newsletter.
Petros Nkhambule from Barberton
Correctional Centre said: “Our
newsletter is great and I want to
say, keep up the good work.” He
added that rehabilitation programmes
like cleaning-up campaigns and parolees
who are leading a positive life always
make a good read.
Nolwazi Mchunu of Vryheid Correctional
Centre said she has never missed
an issue ever since she joined the department.
“I love reading. I have never
missed an edition because it always con-
tains motivating stories from management
and about offenders alike.” She
said her family also read the newsletter.
Gloria Hihumba who works at the foyer
at head office said, “I always encourage
visitors and officials to grab a copy of the
newsletter so they can learn more about
our department. To date, the issue that
impressed me the most was the February/March
2008 edition because it had a
lot of news about our daily lives. The cover
was exceptional because it covered
the rainbow nation of this department.”
Although Director Legal Services, Dr
Reuben Mbuli is an
avid reader of the
newsletter, he said he
would like to see stories
from his directorate
in the newsletter.
Adv. Leon Klynsmith,
from head office said
the newsletter covers
good internal communication
and encouraged
the team
to “keep up the good work”. He said it
would be more stimulating if the publication
can have cartoons, jokes and inspirational
messages.
Ipeleng Tshoke, who works at the Defence
Force in Poyntons East bloc at
head office, said she always looked forward
to read the newsletter. “I like reading
about what Correctional Services has
been up to over the past months. I mostly
enjoy reading about the initiatives that
they take and the good work they are doing
in communities. Another interesting
part that I read closely is the progress on
their focus areas for the year,” she said.
According to Julia Mokhele, based at
Kroonstad Management Area, it is interesting
to read about offenders’ success
stories, both in programmes and sport.
She, however, felt there were not enough
follow-up stories on the successes of
former offenders who have been released.
“If successful former offenders
can be continuously profiled, more offenders
would join the programmes and
make the best out of their incarceration,”
she said. She also felt there was a lack of
stories about correctional officials. “Cen-
“I love reading (SA Corrections Today). I have never missed an edition
because it always contains motivating stories from management and
about offenders alike.”
tres of Excellence are not well marketed.
A lot is happening in Centres of Excellence
and the community needs to know
about all those programmes.”
Several officials from Bethal Correctional
Centre said they liked the publi-
2 SA Corrections Today
cation because it keeps them informed
about departmental activities.
Officials from Lusikisiki Correctional
Centre said the newsletter gives them
hope when they read stories about offenders
who are willing to change for the
better. However, they also had some criticism.
They said some provinces feel neglected
and are not equally represented.
Few readers are aware that SA Corrections
Today is distributed to the Government
Communications and Information
Systems (GCIS) community Thusong
centres. SA Corrections Today is indeed
distributed to 10 regional GCIS offices
for further distribution by them to their
surrounding communities. The regional
offices covered are Durban that receives
500 copies, East London 300 copies,
Mpumalanga Limpopo and North West
region each receive 400 copies.