Youth Day Celebrations - Department of Correctional Services

inside
Deputy ministers
visit Correctional
Centres
3
New
Inspecting
Judge
5
Employees
participate in
wellness day
10
JUNE/JULY 2006
Youth Day Celebrations
rocked in Pretoria
By Nandipha Ramadikela and Kate Ngobeni
Youth offenders at Correctional Centres in the Pretoria Management Area were thrilled to see their
role models such as soccer and boxing stars and a group of gospel singers at various Youth Month
celebrations in June.
T
day with the awaiting trialists who were awehe events formed part of many other celstruck as they listened attentively to speakers
ebrations which were held throughout the
and danced their worries away during musical
country in commemoration of the 30th
performances. The awaiting trialists were given
anniversary of June 16, 1976. This day marks
the opportunity to compete against each other
the revolt of students in Soweto who took to the
and the best pantsula dancers received T-shirts
streets in protest against the then education
as prizes for their outsystem. These heroes
standing performances
and heroines, many of
and they were priviwhom have lost their
leged to obtain autolives, were protesting
graphs from the stars of
against the use of Afrikaans as a medium of
their choice. The African
instruction in schools,
Black Pots, also known
demanding fair and
as Bana Ba Mogolo
quality education.
from Soshanguve kept
Young awaiting trialthe awaiting trialists on
Former Orlando Pirates Midfielder Helman “Midnight Express” Mkhalele signing an autograph
ists attending the celtheir feet.
for awaiting trialist Olebile Sebogodi at Local
ebrations held at the
Also attending was
Correctional Centre in Pretoria
Local Correctional CenNational Youth Commistre rubbed shoulders with celebrities includsion representative, Commissioner Daniel van
ing former Orlando Pirates midfielder Helman
Vuuren who spoke about the significance of this
“Midnight Express” Mkhalele, Kaiser Chiefs
year’s theme: “The Age of Hope: Deepening
midfielder Isaac “Shakes” Kungwane, Super
Youth Participation in Development”. CommisSport striker Lungisani Ndhlela, actor Mahlubi
sioner Van Vuuren elaborated on development
Kraai and Boxing Super Featherweight Lehlohighlights which were brought about by NYC’s
honolo Ledwaba. The African Black Pots as
partnerships with government departments.
well as Youth 4 Christ musical groups spent the
They include the National Youth Economic Par-
correctional services
Department:
Correctional Services
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
ticipation Strategy, the implementation of the
Presidential Job Summit Resolution to set up
Umsobomvu and the registration of young people in learnerships.
He challenged the Department to respond
to the NYC’s calls. “This week in Rockville,
Soweto, we are having an expo. We invited the
department but received no response,” he said.
“Next year ensure that you participate because
now I’m the only one who gets to see these
beautiful paintings and I’m the only one who received this handwork as a gift and I’m the only
one who knows that our brothers and sisters
are being rehabilitated.” Thereafter, during his
address, Sport, Arts and Culture Director Fezile Sipamla encouraged the youth to read the
White Paper on Corrections in order to educate
themselves regarding the rehabilitation vision
of the Department.
The value of celebrations such as these must
not be underestimated as not only do they engender a sense of history and appreciation of
the sacrifices made but also give hope to those
who have stumbled and fallen and need to rise
above their circumstances and take their rightful place in society.
READ MORE ON PAGE 6
SA CorrectionsToday
SA Corrections Today
is an 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
Language: Terry de Vos
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:
[email protected]
page EDITORIAL
W
elcome to our mid-winter edition of
SA Corrections Today. This issue is
packed with information that we all
should familiarize ourselves with, not only because it is our responsibility that we inform ourselves with happenings in our Department, but
also because our contributions are valued.
This edition has a special focus on Youth
Month celebrations, which will always have a
prominent place on our calendars. This year
June 16 was of special importance as it was 30
years ago that the tragic death of Hector Peterson triggered an unstoppable wave of fearless
dedication by our youth to fight for freedom.
On a lighter side we also look at the recent gold
medal achievement in the grueling Comrades
Marathon by Madeleen Otto, a correctional official at head office in Pretoria. Madeleen, we
are proud of you!
Our management cadre has as usual been
very busy in the past two months. Among many
activities we highlight Minister Balfour’s recent
tour to the UK to gain insight into their correctional systems and strategies.
Deputy Minister Jacobus took Mantombazana Botha, Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture
and Jean Benjamin, Deputy Minister of Social
Development on a familiarization tour to the
women’s sections of two Gauteng prisons.
The interventions that will result from the tour
will especially benefit the children who are with
their mothers in correctional centres.
The SA Corrections Today team is happy to
report on the anti-corruption training drive undertaken by the Department. It is hoped that
this programme will have a huge impact in
turning around public perceptions about our
department, but also that it will bring about a
commitment among each and every one of us
to root out unethical behaviour and practices in
the Department.
We also report on the gains our Department
is making with regard to the government’s preferential procurement policy. A survey on the
use of BEE businesses in the Department’s
procurement system has shown that 93% of all
procurement transactions with a value of R30
000 and above, amounting to an expenditure of
nearly R1 billion in the previous financial year,
went to companies with equity owned by “historically disadvantaged” individuals.
Lastly, but not least, it is hoped that our readers will feel encouraged by acting Inspecting
Judge Erasmus’s plans to improve understanding by his office of the most serious limiting factors in the Department and his commitment to
find solutions for these.
We also welcome to the Communications
team our new editor, Estelle Coetzee, who recently joined the department and say farewell
to our journalist colleague, Zama Feni, who has
taken up a journalist post at a prominent newspaper in the Eastern Cape. Good luck to both
of them.
Once again, take the time to read your copy of
SA Corrections Today!
Minister
forges ties in
the UK
By Shane Choshane
The recent visit by Minister Ngconde
Balfour to Britain yielded good results
to the challenges facing Correctional
Services today.
T
he four day visit was aimed at gaining
insight into systems and strategies employed by the UK government in dealing
with similar issues the Department grapples
with such as strengthening the capacity of correctional officials, reduce overcrowding and the
number of juveniles awaiting trial as well as programmes for children of female offenders who
are with their mothers in correctional centers.
The minister met the Under-Secretary (Deputy Minister) for Criminal Justice and Offender
Management, Mr. Gerry Sutcliffe. Britain, like
South Africa, currently faces huge overcrowding in prisons with an increasing offender population.
One of the outcomes of their discussions is
an exchange training programme which will see
correctional officials from both countries learning from curricula applied at training colleges in
the two countries.
The Minister visited and inspected Wandsworth Prison in London, the largest and most-
Minister Ngconde Balfour, the Under Secretary
Gerry Sutcliffe and Advocate Tozama Mqobi pictured
here with Mr Sutcliffe’s staff members.
populated prison in the UK and the Feltham
Juvenile Prison for young offenders where he
met with the deputy governors of both prisons.
They discussed overcrowding, gangsterism, offender risk management and privileges, as well
as parole and probation management.
The minister also addressed strategies to prevent re-offending by paroled prisoners, effective
management of low-risk offenders, management of juvenile offfenders and foreign nationals in South African Correctional Centres.
Minister Balfour said the visit “was an eyeopener which will enable the Department to
strengthen its systems and strategies relating
to offender management by piloting some of the
best practices and models learnt from the UK
prisons.”
Minister Balfour and Mr. Sutcliffe agreed that
the building of prisons was a short term strategy that needed to be complemented by a multipronged criminal justice system to reduce levels of crime and correct offending behaviour.
JUNE/JULY 2006
A correctional centre
is not the right place to
raise children
By Nandipha Ramadikela
Development and Care Chief Deputy Commissioner Jabu Sishuba (from left),
Deputy Minister Loretta Jacobus and Social Development Deputy Minister Jean
Benjamin during a visit to the Johannesburg Correctional Centre in July.
T
he deputy ministers’ goal was to familiarize themselves with the living conditions
of children under the age of five who find
themselves in correctional facilities because
their mothers are imprisoned.
Deputy Ministers Loretta Jacobus of Correctional Services, Mantombazana Botha from
Arts and Culture and Jean Benjamin of Social
Development visited the facilities to see what
needs to be done in order to make these children enjoy their Constitutional rights and ensure
that they live normal lives despite their circumstances. The deputy ministers felt that it would
be a good thing if these children attend external
nurseries so that they can mingle with children
from outside. This would also bring them into
Pretoria and Johannesburg Female Correctional
Centres had the privilege to be visited by three
deputy ministers on a cold winter’s morning in
July.
contact with male figures as it was discovered
said. The twins were born in the facility and they
during the visit that they
were two weeks old
were scared of men.
when she was senOne of the offenders
tenced. The talkative
who talked to the delegaMartin added that she
tion was Rucrecia Martin,
hoped to go out on
a mother of nine month
parole soon because
old twin boys. She told
she behaves very well
Deputy Minister Jacobus
and is involved in sevthat her single bed was
eral rehabilitation proArts and Culture Deputy Minister Mantombazana
too small to accommodate Botha
grammes. The deputy
(in the middle) joined Johannesburg Female Corherself and the twins. “I rectional Centre choral choir during a visit at the centre. ministers all encourShe is flanked by offenders Princess Kwali
share a pillow with one
aged offenders to use
and Pearl Mkame.
of them but I have to put
their time to gain skills
the other one at my feet and if I’m not careso that they have become better citizens upon
ful their heads get too close to the wall,” Martin
release.
Training starts to
stamp out fraud and
corruption
By Vusi Shabalala
The first group of correctional officials that were trained recently
I
n his opening remarks the acting National
Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr
Patrick Gillingham boldly commended the
Department’s commitment to eliminate fraud
and corruption. He said “It is indeed refreshing and encouraging to be part of this opening ceremony of the ethics management and
anti-corruption training programme of Correctional Services, representing my Minister,
Deputy Minister and National Commissioner. It
is encouraging because it marks an important
milestone in our efforts to build a secure and
ethical correctional system in South Africa that
enjoys the confidence of our stakeholders and
the public.”
Words of appreciation for the commitment of
Correctional Services to rid the DCS of fraud
and corruption were extended by Mr. Rufus
Mmutlana, the Deputy Director General responsible for Organizational Development and
Training Services at the South African Manage-
The Department took a significant step in July
when the Ethics Management and Anti-Corruption
Training was officially launched in Pretoria.
ment Development Institute (SAMDI).
The initiative marks the commitment of the
Department to make good on its promise to
uphold good governance principles. The Department entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with SAMDI in 2004 to assist with
the development of course material for this purpose and the training of correctional officials.
Training of trainers also form part of the agreement in order to build internal training capacity
so that the programme can be rolled out to all
officials eventually.
This R4 million training programme comprises
44 sessions and will equip over 880 managers
with skills to improve ethical behaviour and fight
corruption. SAMDI will present the three day
training sessions until the end of September
this year.
The first session was facilitated by Daddy
Khuselo and Sakhile Sibiya from SAMDI and
it proved to be a great success with the partici-
pants, mainly from the DIU showing their eagerness to learn and participate.
Mr. Pieter Kilian, Deputy Director of Integrity in
DIU had this to say about the programme: “The
course is comprised of ethics decision-making
models which will assist managers with day-today decision making, to ensure that decisions
are in line with ethical principles.”
He added that the training was aimed at ensuring that the values and ethics practised daily
in DCS are aligned with the White Paper on
Corrections in South Africa. Killian’s message
to the public was that ”those individuals who
wish to become part of the DCS, whether as
employees or as service providers, must take
note that the DCS places great emphasis on
moral and ethical values and will ensure that
the Department only accepts those individuals with the highest values. We owe that to the
community.”
Publication of the Department of Correctional Services
page SA CorrectionsToday
Correctional Services pushes ASGISA forward
By Manelisi Wolela
In his budget vote speech earlier this year, Correctional Service’s Minister Ngconde Balfour was upbeat about
the contributions made by his Department in building an Age of Hope that has emerged in South Africa.
H
e highlighted areas where significant
improvements were effected in the delivery of correctional services such as
the reduction of escapes, reduction of offender-on-offender violence and the improvement
of security systems.
One of the big issues that could not be accommodated in the time allocated for the Department in Parliament is the progress that
has been made in mainstreaming the second
economy through the preferential procurement system. A survey conducted on the use
of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) businesses in the Department’s procurement programme during the year, showed a significant
improvement in complying with government
policy. According to the survey 93% of all procurement transactions with a value of R30 000
and above, amounting to an expenditure of
nearly R1 billion (R912. 739 million), went to
companies with equity owned by “historically
disadvantaged” individuals. Of the total, 85%
went to enterprises with equity owned by black
women (R780.239 million).
Considering the broad contribution this business sector has to labour absorption and
poverty reduction, the Department is indeed
poised to contribute to the realisation of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of
halving poverty and unemployment by 2014.
The need to achieve these goals was highlighted by President Thabo Mbeki during the
State of the Nation Address in February this
year, when he unveiled a plan to launch a
national effort for faster and shared growth in
South Africa. The plan is now popularly known
as ASGISA, an abbreviation for Accelerated
and Shared Growth Initiative – South Africa.
According to the plan, South Africa’s economy needs to grow at a 6% rate per year, with
a focus on those sectors of the economy that
have a great potential for creating employment and registering a high poverty reducing
impact. The plan may seem complex but a
simplified version has been produced that
can be accessed on the government website,
www.gov.za.
Clearly any effort aimed at addressing poverty and unemployment affects the root causes
of many crimes committed in South Africa, if
one considers the offender statistics in correctional facilities. Deputy Minister Loretta Jacobus said in Parliament earlier this year that
about 52 000 sentenced offenders are serving
sentences of between 0 and 6 months with
about 13 000 of them unable to afford a fine of
R1000 and less, while a further 14 000 awaiting-trial detainees cannot afford bail of less
than R1000. These statistics indicate poverty
traps and therefore any effort to alleviate poverty will also benefit Correctional Services significantly as many centres are threatening to
burst at the seams due to congestion.
page ASGISA outlines six categories of interventions aimed at overcoming a number of
constraints to shared growth which include
infrastructure projects, sector investment initiatives, skills and education initiatives, second economy interventions, macro economic
issues and public administration issues.
With a budget of R10.6 billion and growing
over the next five years, Correctional Services is indeed poised to enhance the ASGISA
objectives in a manner that mainstreams the
previously disadvantaged sectors, fights poverty and at the same time cascades to crime
prevention.
To ensure a systematic approach to ASGISA, the Management Coordinating Committee
(MCC) has established a Task Team to drive
Correctional Services’ strategic contribution to
the programme. Areas identified for intervention include:
•
Accelerate implementation of the Poverty
Alleviation Policy.
•
Consider Business Process Outsourcing
(BPO) to labour intensive business sectors.
•
Enhance procurement reforms with
mechanisms to eliminate fraud and fronting.
•
Decentralise the system so that small
and medium size businesses can also
benefit.
•
Utilise the projected R5 billion infrastructure budget over the medium term expenditure framework (MTEF) to enhance
the transformation of the construction
industry while also creating jobs for the
unemployed in the construction of new
centres and the rehabilitation of old facilities.
•
Intensify skills development programmes
to meet labour market needs for officials, offenders and the unemployed or
under-employed qualified young people.
Programmes aimed at the unemployed
include an internship plan and the youth
volunteer programme which is to be managed together with the National Youth
Commission.
•
Remove inefficiencies in the governance
system that inhibit the emergence and
flourishing of BEE businesses.
Minister Ngconde Balfour says despite resistance from what he believes to be vestiges
of the previous procurement dispensation, “we
remain unfazed and unapologetic about our
transformation agenda as espoused in Section 217 of the Constitution, in our Preferential
Procurement Policy Framework Act (Act 5 of
2000), in the Broad Based Black Economic
Empowerment Act (Act 53 of 2003) and now
ASGISA.”
The Minister furthermore said: “I am happy
with the progress but I remain concerned
about the representation of people with disabilities, and some indicators that a number
of enterprises may be “rent-a-black” fronts of
established businesses. We will work with
our partners, including the National Treasury,
to investigate these abuses and blacklist culprits.”
Restorative
justice and
social
reintegration
are linked
By Nandipha Ramadikela
Restorative Justice is a concept that encourages offenders to make amends with their
victims, the families of victims
and with the communities who
are affected by their crimes.
B
ecause the general public is not well-informed about this concept, the Department of Correctional Services and the
JUNE/JULY 2006
These issues need to be investigated and solutions found. We intend to provide such information to
the Department.”
Since taking up the post in June,
Judge Erasmus visited four correctional centres namely, Pollsmoor,
Mossel Bay, Pretoria, Boksburg
and Durban. His next visits will be
to the Limpopo, North West and
Mpumalanga regions in the first
week of August. “By the end of October … the end of my term I will
also have visited Middledrift, the
one I picked up from statistics as
being problematic,” he said.
Following on observations during
the visits, the judge has noticed
that correctional centres have similar problems with regard to logistics
around support, with health care
services, too few medical staff,
overcrowding and a lack of legal
representation among awaitingtrial detainees. The courts should
divert some offenders to other
Members of the Executive Management Committee welcomed Acting Inspecting Judge Nathan Charles Erasmus (seated in the
middle front row) Next to him is Commissioner Linda Mti on the left and Chief Deputy Commissioner Jenny Schreiner.
correctional programmes to ease
overcrowding, he said. As appeals
take too long, the judge also met with the law
The office of the new acting Inspecting Judge of the Judicial Inspectorsociety to see if private practitioners could asate of Prisons, Judge Nathan Charles Erasmus, will strive to achieve
sist in this regard.
the objectives of the Department’s White Paper and the Constitution he
To improve the situation, the Judicial Inspectorate has put community liaison officers in correcently said in an interview with SA Corrections Today.
rectional centres to liaise with legal aid board
representatives.
udge Erasmus said his office has identiin the past have been there merely to look at
The Judge said that Commissioner Linda Mti
fied various factors that affect the humane
complaints. “My view is that these Independhad suggested that in order to speed up and
treatment of offenders and that these inent Prison Visitors have been underutilized. We
improve services there should be regular meetclude overcrowding and a lack of services. The
haven’t looked at how we are going to support
ings between the Judge’s office and Correcjudge is optimistic though, that these problems
our clients. It is important to give feedback to
tional Management.
can be overcome if role players such as nonthe clients so they have confidence in us.”
One such meeting was held at Head Office
governmental organizations and the DepartJudge Erasmus said he knew that offenders
in June. Commissioner Mti described Judge Erment of Justice fully come on board.
become frustrated when family members do
asmus’ inputs as dynamic and the judge was
Community involvement is also vital, he emnot visit. A lack of communication among fampleased to note that they share a common viphasised. In terms of the Correctional Servily members retards rehabilitation, he said. “In
sion. “Looking at the White Paper, the current
ices Act, Section 94, the Inspecting Judge can
some instances families do not visit their loved
DCS management is on the right track,” Judge
establish Independent Prison Visitors which
ones due to distance and travelling expenses.
Erasmus concluded.
J
NGO Khulisa recently held public sessions in
a bid to raise awareness and to harness the
insights gained from successes achieved with
the Department and Khulisa’s joint programme
in parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
Lesley Ann van Selm, Khulisa’s Managing Director says, “critical to the restorative process
is the facilitation of dialogue between victims,
offenders, their families and the community, the
purpose of which is reconciliation, and peace
making.”
An event is created where all these parties
speak openly about the crime. The offenders
ask for forgiveness and the victims, together
with their families, find it in their hearts to forgive those who had wronged them.
Khulisa, an organization dedicated to reducing
crime by implementing youth and community
development programmes in disadvantaged areas started a project known as “Discover Path”
or “My Path” at Ekuseni Centre of Excellence
in Newcastle and the Waterval Correctional
Centre in 2003. The organization also provides
rehabilitation and reintegration programmes to
young people who are in conflict with the law.
Depending on the situation and type of crime
committed victims and their families sometimes
convey their messages through video recordings. The face-to-face method can be very
tense says Ekuseni Occupational Therapist,
Elma Nel. “Offenders are usually very nervous
prior to the proceedings. However, when the
families convey their feelings … it turns out to
be a healing process with a great sense of relief
for both sides,” Nel adds.
Nel related many stories to illustrate how the
process of restorative justice works. One such
story is that of an offender who had murdered
his wife. His mother-in-law had recorded a message on video in which she told him that he was
welcome to contact the family upon his release.
He could not stop crying as his youngest son
clung to him telling him how much he and his
siblings needed their father to come home one
day.
Offenders who seek to make amends with
their victims and communities can take part
in the “My Path” programme. This restorative
justice programme helps immensely with the
reintegration of offenders upon release. Those
who wish to make amends are interviewed and
assessed to ascertain whether they are ready
and committed. Khulisa then contacts the offender’s family, the victim and the victim’s family as well as some community members, if
need be. If these parties agree they are shown
a video clipping in which the offender declares
his/her intentions in seeking forgiveness. Khulisa and Departmental staff act as mediators
should the video message result in a face-toface session.
A victim-offender panel is another activity in
the restorative justice process. This is where
offenders of the same crime meet a victim of
that specific crime and the victim shares his/her
experience and how the crime has affected his/
her life in general.
Restorative justice undoubtedly has a valuable role to play in our campaign to facilitate
reintegration and combat recidivism (repeated
crimes) in our country.
Publication of the Department of Correctional Services
page SA CorrectionsToday
Allandale
Management Area
celebrates Youth Day
By Louis Reinke
The group “All for God” from left to right Eugene,
Mark, Javan, Abraham and Marius.
Thami Baipane bidding farewell to Tshepo Steven Modisane who was released on parole after serving three
years nine months for rape.
Doing time in a correctional
centre was not a waste of time
By Nandipha Ramadikela
When 22-year-old Tshepo Steven Modisane was sentenced to six
years imprisonment for rape in 2002, he thought his life was over
but he was mistaken. His time in the correctional centre led him to
amend his ways to the extent that he wants to prevent other youth
from following a criminal path through establishing a youth centre
in his community upon his release.
T
he lad served three years and nine
months and was released on parole on
June 30th − perhaps significant as it was
the last day of Youth Month.
He told SA Corrections that prior to his sentencing he had fears about “prison” thinking
that it was a place where “useless people” were
thrown and that one had to belong to a gang
in order to survive. “My worst fear though was
sodomy − I thought that I could end up being
married to an older man … the idea of self-development under the correctional system never
crossed my mind,” said Modisane.
However, his perception of the system
changed the minute he walked into the Emthonjeni Centre of Excellence which accommodates juveniles.
He described the centre as the right place for
one to look back and find a way to rectify previous mistakes. Help and support from correctional officials and the programmes which are in
place play an important role in the rehabilitation
process.
When he arrived, he was introduced to English Teacher Mpyamaleka Calvin Nkadimeng.
Following a lengthy interview, the young man
wrote an assessment test which qualified him
to enrol at the school. “My peers outside were
shocked to see my name in the newspapers following my matric (Grade 12) results,” Modisane
said. “To me this proved that I could pursue my
dreams and become whatever I wanted to in
page life despite my circumstances.”
After completing matric, he enrolled for a oneyear Khulisa programme which was divided
into trimesters during which he received certificates that served as recognition of his leadership, public speaking ability and creative writing
skills. On completing the course, he received a
gold medal. “I gave that gold medal to my mom
so she can also feel that I’m not wasting my
time here … I’ve achieved something,” Modisane added.
The Soshanguve youth successfully completed other several programmes but did not always find it easy and he had to quit mechanical
engineering for which he enrolled at the workshops in 2005 after realizing that mathematics
was too difficult for him.
Shortly before his release, Modisane praised
the correctional officers for their “great deeds”.
He said the time they (correctional officers)
invest in inmates is not a waste as their support will ensure that the Department fulfills its
mandate with regard to the rehabilitation of offenders.
Speaking of Youth Month he said that it should
be a time when information is made available
to the youth. “We need to know about the opportunities that are available and where to go
for assistance when we wish to further our education,” he said. Modisane would like to study
psychology when he has the funds.
Y
outh day at the Hawequa centre was
commemorated with an interesting programme involving the juveniles of the
centre. Inmate Granville Sampson was the
master of ceremonies at the function and Radio KC and Reverent Reginald Hendricks were
the main speakers. The gist of the messages
conveyed to the juveniles was that they are responsible for their own behaviour and that their
choices in life will determine their future.
The Mbekweni choir and the Hawequa song
group “All for God” performed a drama entitled
“youth of Africa” which illustrated the pressures
that the youth of today have to cope with.
Some inmates also recited proems. The
Grade 11 pupils from the Weltevrede Secondary School performed song items. A representative from the Department of Economical
Development, Deputy Director Litha Kutta, was
also present.
Johannesburg
celebrates
Youth Month
By Nandipha Ramadikela
Officials and offenders had a
ball during the Youth Month
celebrations held in June by
the Johannesburg Management Area.
T
his fun-filled event showcased various
dance and musical items − pantsula
jive, choral music and even some of
Mbongeni Ngema’s work and the lively vibe
created by disc jockeys Mahuta and Vetkoek
had everyone tapping their feet.
However, there was also a more serious
tone to the day as speeches were delivered
and books were donated to the Department’s
libraries. Most speakers emphasized the sig-
JUNE/JULY
JUNE/JULY 2006
Computer donation for
training of youth
offenders
By Lewies Davids, Manager Communications, Rooigrond
(North West Province)
North West Premier Edna Molewa and Minister Ngconde Balfour
look on with pride as the computers are unpacked.
T
he Minister of Correctional Services,
Mr. Ngconde Balfour received the
donation on behalf of the juvenile inmates. Having felt the urgency to act on Correctional Services’ White Paper stipulation to
form partnerships with businesses and community organisations, the Premier identified
Rustenburg Youth Centre as a place where
an answer to this call can be realised. Business sponsors in this agreement were SITA,
Pinnacle Micro, Vodacom Foundation and
Business Connexion.
The computers will be used for training juvenile offenders basic computer literacy. The
donation also fits in with the plans to upgrade
the computer centre to later include computer
training for adult inmates. This donation will
equally benefit Rustenburg, Rooigrond and
Klerksdorp Management Area. Mr. Watson
Tshivhase, Regional Commissioner of LMN
region saluted Minister Balfour as a leader
that makes things happen.
He reiterated the message that the reha-
Johannesburg correctional officials Florence
Diboneng Phaleng and Salome Botha dancing to
the beat during Youth Month celebrations held in
Johannesburg Correctional Centre.
nificance of the month and provided some
background regarding the 16th of June, 1976
when Soweto students protested against
Afrikaans as the language of instruction in
schools. Shortly after the new government
was formed in 1994, the day was declared a
national holiday to be known as Youth Day in
honour of all the young people who lost their
lives in the struggle against the so-called
“Bantu Education”.
Welcoming guests, Gauteng Regional Commissioner Vernie Peterson, who was visiting
the facility for the first time in this capacity,
Premier of North West, Ms. Edna Molewa handed
over 50 computers to be used in training of juvenile
offenders at Rustenburg Correctional Centre in June
this year.
bilitation process of offenders is a collective
Tseane, Chief Magistrate of Rustenburg
societal responsibility in which the business
Mr. Motiang, and Programme Director Mr
Makgoba.
sector, civil society and the Department must
equally participate.
With the focus
This was the secin June on Youth
Month, the Premier
ond donation of comof North West said
puters to Correctional
Services. The other
that through this initiative, some youth
was at Pollsmoor
by the Shuttleworth
may want to pursue
careers in computers
Foundation. Minister
and ultimately rediBalfour said at the
occasion: “We are
rect their energies
and interest. As our
starting an Information Technology skills
society advances in
the field of Informarevolution to inmates
tion and Communicain the 243 centres
Minister Balfour greets Northwest Premier Edna
tions Technology, this
nationwide.”
Molewa at the Rustenburg Correctional Centre prior
to the ceremony where the Premier donated
important section of
The event was atcomputers to benefit youth offenders.
tended by several
our society, namely
other officials of the
the young offenders
Department in the LMN region such as the
cannot be left behind, she said.
Deputy Regional Commissioner Ms. Lunga
encouraged both youth officials and offenders
to grab the opportunities presented to them −
and so doing pursue the Department’s vision
of rehabilitation and social reintegration.
Also attending the event was the National
Youth Commission Chief Executive Officer,
Lwazi Mboyi, who encouraged the youth to get
involved in government’s programmes including the Umsobomvu Youth Fund. “We need to
pick up the baton from the 1976 generation in
the spirit of Vukuzenzele¹ and Letsema² in the
development of our country,” Mboyi said.
The Umsobomvu Youth Fund was established in a bid to create jobs, develop and
transfer skills among young people and encourage the youth to become entrepreneurs.
Also in attendance were pupils from the
Ithuteng Training and Support Programme
for Teens. Its founder, Jackey Maarhohanye
or Mama Jackey, as she is affectionately
known, gave a short background on how the
programme came into existence and outlined
her partnership with the Department.
She shared with the audience how surprised
the school authorities were when she visited
the school in Soweto looking for “deviant” pupils and those that were affected by crime. “I’d
take them to the Johannesburg Correctional
Centre and Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospi-
tal’s various units to prove to them how fortunate they were that they had a second chance
in life,” Mama Jackey said.
Deputy Minister Loretta Jacobus applauded
the good work done by people outside the
correctional system whilst acknowledging that
there is still much which needs to be done to
prevent our youth from landing in correctional
centres. “At the DCS we go to great lengths
to offer alternatives to this lifestyle by means
of our rehabilitation interventions, however,
the problem of overcrowding severely compromises our ability to effectively rehabilitate
these young people,” she said.
Fun was had and lessons were learned, and
at the end of the day celebrations such as
these are an important part of our reconciliation and growth as a nation.
1. Vukuzenzele is an initiative by the Presidency
to get government departments involved in social
outreach programmes.
2. The Letsema Project is aimed at the unemployed youth − government and its social partners
introduced learnerships in a bid to reduce the rate
of unemployment.
Publication of the Department of Correctional Services
page SA CorrectionsToday
DCS and Youth Commission
strengthen relations to benefit
young offenders
By Nandipha Ramadikela
The Department of Correctional Services has undertaken to
strengthen ties with the National Youth Commission
T
his follows a series of interactions which
culminated in a meeting that was held in
June where the two parties discussed
ways of taking their relationship beyond ad hoc
contacts.
The Deputy Commissioner of Communications, Manelisi Wolela and Sports, Recreation,
Arts and Culture Director Fezile Sipamla represented the Department. National Youth Commission (NYC), Chief Executive Officer Lwazi
Mboyi and Commissioner Daniel van Vuuren
represented the NYC. Both parties believe that
the partnership will result in programmes that
will benefit young offenders.
The strengthening of DCS and NYC ties will
build on the successful pilot phase of the Young
Prisoners’ Program at the Durban Westville, the
Hawequa and the Thohoyandou correctional
centres which took place between 1998 and
2000. This program focused on training offenders in entrepreneurship, life skills and computer skills. Of the 180 trainees, the Commission
mitted petty crimes. They advised that these
sentences should be converted into community
service. They also suggested other avenues
that could be pursued, such as the Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) which is a program
run by the National Institute for Crime Prevention and Reintegration of Offenders (Nicro).
Commissioner Daniel van Vuuren acknowledged the importance of the participation of
communities and non-governmental organizations in addressing social factors, adding that
schools, communities and municipalities should
be responsible for initiatives and preventative
measures. He was of the opinion that young offenders should be accommodated in places of
safety rather than correctional centres.
Baviaanspoort’s
Karate Kid
National Youth Commission Chief Executive Officer
Lwazi Mboyi addressing the audience during Youth
Month celebrations held in Johannesburg Correctional Centre in June
aimed at assisting at least 60 youth offenders to
access loans and set up small businesses upon
their release. At the time correctional officials
were also given training in facilitation.
During the June meeting, the NYC expressed
concern over the number of young people who
are incarcerated, especially those who com-
Mr. Jan Badenhorst from the Baviaanspoort
Management Area, in his capacity as captain
of Karate South Africa participated in the zone
6 championships in Zimbabwe as part of a
five-man team in May this year. The team was
awarded a bronze medal.
Badenhorst was also selected as a member
of Karate South Africa’s National Protea Team
which will represent South Africa in the World
Karate Federation Championships in Finland
during October this year.
We are very proud of Mr Badenhorst and wish
him all the best.
Shuttleworth
Donation Boosts IT Skills of
Offenders
By Zama Feni
In this day and age where we are experiencing an information technology (IT)
revolution, the Shuttleworth Foundation ushered in a new dawn of hope for Western Cape offenders by donating a total of 40 computers to the Pollsmoor Female
and Malmesbury Youth correctional centres.
T
he project, which is set to enhance the
computer skills of inmates, is the first of
its kind in the Department of Correctional Services and will bring the IT revolution into
correctional centres ─ an initiative that lives
up to the Department’s strategic objectives of
providing market related educational skills to
those in our custody.
In his Budget Vote Speech in Parliament
in May this year, Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour commended the Shuttleworth Foundation (whose members were
seated in the gallery in Parliament) for having
agreed to become partners in this initiative.
“Thanks to the support of the Shuttleworth
Foundation, the eradication of the boundaries
and barriers created as a result of the digital
divide will soon become a thing of the past
in Correctional Centres as we embark on a
page drastic digital and IT skills revolution for offenders,” he said.
Minister Balfour said this revolution will usher in a new era in the learning and education
programmes of offenders with the establishment of Computer Based Learning Centres in
all Centres of Excellence.
A day after his Budget Vote speech, the
Minister launched the first phase of this IT
Skills Revolution pilot project for offenders at
Pollsmoor.
The Department’s Director for Formal Education Dr Joey Coetzee said the Shuttleworth
Foundation had provided training to the administrators of the project and they will also
provide all technical support for a period of 12
months.
He said the primary objective of this project
will be the promotion of computer literacy and
also computer assisted learning as learners
will be able to use the programmes to enhance their competence in the various fields
relating to the Adult Basic Education and
Training (ABET) curriculum and to a certain
extent the curricula for Grades 10 – 12.
As part of the plan to effectively manage and
extend this IT project, an Information Communication Technology Project Team headed by
the Western Cape Deputy Regional Commissioner, James Smalberger, was formed and
is comprised of officials from Head Office, the
Western Cape Regional Office and the Malmesbury and Pollsmoor Management Areas.
There is no doubt that this project will enable many offenders to rejoin society properly
equipped to become self-supportive and assets to their communities.
JUNE/JULY 2006
How the Offender Rehabilitation
Path came into being and
what it means
By Nandipha Ramadikela
Corrections, Development and Care senior managers role-play the offender rehabilitation path.
T
he Offender Rehabilitation Path (ORP) is
part of the systems, processes and structures to put the White Paper on Corrections into practice. It spells out the path of what
should happen to an offender from the point of
admission to the point of release.
What happens on this path is not arbitrary. It
is a process informed and dictated by a legal
framework, starting from the Constitution of
the Republic of South Africa, the Correctional
Services Act (Act 111 of 1997), policies and
procedures of the Department and international
instruments and protocols.
It was within these contexts that the management cadre and other staff members of the
branches: Development and Care and Corrections crafted the document that would become
the Offender Rehabilitation Path (ORP).
The ORP is manifested in nine distinct areas,
namely
•
Admission
•
Security
•
Personal Restoration
•
New Beginnings
•
Care
•
Development
•
•
•
Role Modeling within DCS
Role Modeling Services to Society
Social Reintegration.
Upon completion of the ORP, the CDC Development and Care nurtured the idea of roleplaying its focus areas to popularize the content
and enhance understanding of the concepts
and ideals it embodies. This led to the senior
management of the two branches combining
their acting talents by taking the ORP to the
stage in all the regions and to the two private
correctional facilities.
The narrator (DC: Personal Corrections) explains that the roleplay focuses on the first seven areas of the ORP because the last two, in
the main, refer to the system of community corrections which is currently being overhauled.
Offender Barry White (played by the Director:
HIV & AIDS and later Director Production Workshops and Agriculture) shows how, with the assistance of correctional officials, he became a
changed person.
Who can forget Mr. Kock (played by the Director: Production Workshops and Agriculture
and later by Director: Formal Education), who
displayed the qualities of an ideal correctional
Baviaanspoort
takes a girl child
to work
By Magda Pienaar
Take a Girl Child to Work day on
25 May 2006 was a huge success
for the Baviaanspoort Management Area.
M
any staff members brought their children along and local school learners
also attended. It was a great opportunity for girls and young women to find out what
choices are available to them when they select
their careers. The idea behind the project is to
encourage girls to break away from the usual
career choices for women, like teaching, nursing or social work.
official. He became the brother and friend of
offender Barry White without losing his professional integrity.
Then there was the soft yet firm Ms. Manzi,
Unit Manager of the Assessment Unit (played
by the CDC: Development and Care) who explained to offender Barry White and other newly
admitted offenders what was expected of them
and what they may expect in the Assessment
Unit. After this orientation session the offenders
had a good idea of the process by the time they
met the officials of the Comprehensive Assessment Team.
Thereafter Mr. Maseko, Chairperson of the
Case Management Committee (CMC) (played
by the DC: Personal Development) expertly
dealt with Barry White in terms of his classification, placement and sentence plan.
The Unit Manager of the Maximum Housing
Unit, Mr. Solomzi (played by the former Director: Sport Recreation Arts and Culture) must
have had a calming effect on offender Barry
White because of the manner in which he welcomed him to the maximum unit and introduced
him to the Case Officer, Ms. Nkosi (played by
the Director: Correctional Programs) and the
Case Manager, Mr. Khuzwayo (played by Director: Community Liaison). This orientation gave
offender Barry White a good understanding of
the role of the Correctional Intervention Team
(CIT) and the Case Review Team (CRT).
Towards the end the Chairperson of the Parole
Board, Mr. Nduna, (played by Director: Pre-Release Resettlement) illustrated the nature of the
recently established Parole Boards. The victim/
s of the crime can be present at such hearings
and this was illustrated by the presence of Ms.
Gogo (played by the CDC: Development and
Care), who was accompanied by her son, Dr.
Wiseman (played by the DC: Personal Well-Being) in a very realistic way.
The “actors” do not claim to be following in
the footsteps of the acclaimed film, Tsotsi, and
they do not claim that the Offender Rehabilitation Path will be as unproblematic as the one of
offender Barry White, but what they wanted to
illustrate was that the ORP is about processes,
systems, structures and attitudes – all of which
are achievable.
On arrival the girls were informed about the
importance of our job as correctional officers
and a presentation on HIV/Aids was given by
the health care worker.
Girls, ranging in age from 11-17 were taken
into the various sections such as finances, human resources, the piggery, the dog school, the
horse unit, the dairy and they visited the Emthonjeni Youth Centre.
The Assistant Head of Emthonjeni explained
to the girls how contact and non-contact visits
to offenders work and also the procedure when
an offender is admitted to a correctional centre.
The girls got the opportunity to see a prison cell
from inside.
With responses like “very interesting”, “it was
too short”, “great day”, the outing the day has
been a worthwhile exercise. No doubt the girls
now have more knowledge on career options in
Correctional Services.
Publication of the Department of Correctional Services
page SA CorrectionsToday
Pretoria Management Area personnel braved the cold weather - took off their jackets as they participated in
aerobics and other activities during their wellness day held in June.
Employees encouraged to
participate in wellness
programmes
By Nandipha Ramadikela and Kate Ngobeni
Officials from the Pretoria Management Area participated in
various sporting activities during their wellness day held at
their sports grounds in June.
T
he day was most enjoyable and many
correctional officers, including Area
Commissioner Mandla Mkhabela,
took part in various codes including a 4 km
fun walk, morabaraba, snakes and ladders,
aerobics, a tug of war and anguish.
Competing teams were made up of personnel from several correctional centres including Odi, C-Max, Females, and Attridgeville
as well as personnel from the Area Commissioner’s office. The Attridgeville Correctional
Centre was the overall winner in snakes and
ladders, whilst the Area Commissioner’s
team won the morabaraba, and C-Max came
first in the tug of war.
Wellness events and programmes are
in line with the Department’s wellness programme which seeks to promote a culture of
wellness and create an environment where
all employees and their families take responsibility for their physical, spiritual, mental and
financial wellbeing.
Addressing participants, Senior Correctional Officer for the Employee Assistance
Programme, Kale Mpeni, emphasized the
importance of emotional and physical wellbeing in order to succeed in whatever one is
doing and added that it was good for employ-
page 10
ees to be involved in different sports and to
socialize with other people.
“Wellness is brought about by a variety of
things in life − learn to talk about your stressors as this will help you to refocus and promote your emotional wellbeing,” she said.
She encouraged individuals to keep their
bodies active and their minds constructively
involved through participation in mental and
physical exercises by having hobbies and
playing sport.
Mpeni also urged all staff members to attend the training programmes that are in
place, especially the programmes on financial and stress management as well as those
dealing with HIV/Aids. “It’s not about statistics … it’s for your benefit.” she said.
In a bid to ensure that a large number of
correctional officers access wellness programmes, the department intend to establish
two wellness centres per region.
The wellness centers will render services
ranging from physiotherapy, social work
services, spiritual care, personal coaching,
financial advice, biokinetics, HIV/Aids counseling, HIV/Aids management and psychological services.
Endurance
Walking Club
for Baviaanspoort officials
By Magda Pienaar
T
he Endurance Walking Association
of South Africa (EWASA) reintroduced the sport to the Department
of Correctional Services during a two-day
session held in George in February this
year.
This session was attended by Mr. Radebe
from Head Office and other delegated officials from all the provinces. EWASA’s aim
was to inform athletes about endurance
walking and to empower them to go back
and form clubs in their respective management areas.
The President of EWASA, Ms. Sonja
Strauss, told attendees about the origins of
the sport, what it entails and regaled them
with stories of previous walks. A highlight
of the event was a 5km walk through the
mountains.
The four members of Baviaanspoort who
attended the event in George came back
motivated to start an Endurance Walking
Club locally, which they promptly did. On
11 July 2006, the members of the newly
formed Baviaanspoort Endurance Walking
Club met for their first practice. Officials
were motivated and bonded as a team.
The Baviaanspoort Endurance Walking
Team hopes to become one of the biggest
Endurance Walking Clubs in Gauteng and
will be ready to participate in the Dias Endurance Walking event next year.
JUNE/JULY 2006
Letters must be addressed to:
The Editor,
SA Corrections Today,
Private Bag X136,
Pretoria 0001
E-mail: [email protected]
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.
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.
Problems with the interim promotion policy
The newly implemented interim promotion
policy seems to have brought unbearable
frustration and pain in the hearts of scores of
DCS employees. The DCS should put more
focus on its employees before anything else
as they carry the mandate of rehabilitating
those behind bars. How can an official be successful in changing others’ bad behaviour or
attitude while financially troubled?
As an interdepartmental transferred member to the DCS I would like to know where
I stand as far as the promotion policy is concerned. It seems the DCS does not consider
my service, which started some years ago in
another department relevant for promotion although the DCS computer system and other
correspondence show my service starting on
the date I joined my ex-department. Does that
mean the end of my career path in this department and will I lose some of the benefits that
exist in DCS? What hurts me most is that DCS
is preaching a gospel of rooting out corruption
while at the same time DCS is busy corrupting
its own employees; directly or indirectly.
While members are advised to further their
studies if they aim to get promoted this can
have a bitter ending if they are told that their
qualifications are not relevant to DCS operations and needs. There are no apparent reasons why our previous service receives no
recognition and our qualifications are of no
value to this department.Frankly, the DCS
is paving its way smoothly to a dark bush if
one takes into account the huge number of
officials who opted resignation as a better solution and looked for greener pastures somewhere else.
I curse the day when I received correspondence from DCS that asked defence force
members to join DCS without losing any
benefits. Now all that had turned into a nightmare.
- B. Nokhula, Kokstad
Management’s response
Mr. Nokhula’s letter focuses on two issues,
namely the recognition of previous experience
in other state departments and the recognition
of qualifications for promotional purposes.
Many officials were promoted in terms of
the Interim Promotion Arrangement and the
Department is convinced that the majority of
officials (those who were promoted and those
who were not promoted) are satisfied with the
promotions that were approved.
The current policy does not make provision
for the recognition of previous experience to
qualify for promotion but requires DCS experience. This is in line with the approval of the
mandate document on the Interim Promotion
Arrangement. The amendment of the criterion
to recognize previous applicable experience
is being considered but will depend on prescribed consultation processes and the actual
approval thereof by the National Commissioner.
The requirement for promotion from salary
level six to seven is Grade 12. Officials with
additional qualifications were not disadvantaged by the Interim Promotion Arrangement.
In certain instances where there were more
qualifying candidates than available posts,
certain qualifications have been utilized to
identify suitable candidates for promotions.
Baviaanspoort gets own
Community Corrections
offices
By Magda Pienaar
B
aviaanspoort Correctional Services was
delighted to establish a Community Corrections Office at Silvertondale in June.
The aim of Community Corrections offices is to
prepare offenders for their social acceptance
and effective reintegration into society.
This satellite office previously resorted under
the Pretoria Management Area but was formally handed over to the Baviaanspoort Management Area on 14 June 2006.
Mr. HM Mkhabela, the Area Commissioner of
Corrections in Pretoria handed over 19 members, 245 parolees, 21 absconders, 119 active
cases, 5 cars and all other responsibilities to
Mr. Malinga, the Area Commissioner of Baviaanspoort.
The Regional Head of Corrections in the Gauteng Region, Ms Motsamai-Madisa attended
the ceremony. During her address she emphasized the important role Correctional Services
has to play in establishing strong partnerships
with the community, since
correcting offending behavior
is not limited to Correctional
Services only, but is a societal Photographed outside the Community Corrections Office of Silvertondale
are from left Directors Hosea Malinga, Mmule Madisa-Motsamaiteng and
responsibility.
Hennie Makhubela.
Once offenders are released
on parole from a Correctional Centre, they recompulsory programs to address negative beport to a Community Corrections Centre, from
havioral patterns, community service, etc.
where they are monitored and subjected to
The office is situated on the corner of Stormstrict conditions until their sentence expires.
voël Road and Mosaic Roads and will serve all
These categories of offenders are referred to
areas north of the Witbank Highway and South
as parolees.
of the Pietersburg Highway which includes the
The other category of offenders dealt with
following areas: Koedoespoort, Derdepoort,
by a Community Corrections offices are those
Boschkop, Donkerhoek, Eersterust, Mamelodi,
placed under Correctional Supervision. CorJan Niemand Park, East Lynne, Magalieskruin,
rectional Supervision is an alternative sentence
Meyerspark, Silverton, La Montagne, Murrayoption to imprisonment and allows the offender
field and Kameeldrift-East.
to maintain family relations, work, etc., whilst
Baviaanspoort Management Area is very
serving their sentences. As in the case with paproud to have their own Community Correcrolees, this category of offenders are subjected
tions office.
to very strict conditions including house arrest,
Publication of the Department of Correctional Services
page 11
SA CorrectionsToday
Madeleen’s Fourth
Comrades Gold!
Frans du Toit spoke to one of the Department’s formidable
athletes and winner of a gold medal in the ladies’ race of
this year’s Comrades Marathon.
I was lazing in the sun in front of the television on Youth Day when a familiar name
caught my attention: Madeleen Otto. I sat upright. It was 7 hours into the Comrades
and the first few women had crossed the finishing line when the commentator mentioned that Madeleen Otto was in ninth place and should cross the finish line in 15
minutes. The race clock stood at 7:17:07 when Madeleen, still looking as fresh
as a daisy after a grueling race of 87,5 km, crossed the finish line earning a
well deserved gold medal. She is particularly proud that she kept running up
the infamous Polly Shortts, a 4,8 km steep incline on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg. At one stage the climb is 100m over a distance of 1,8 km!
Looks are deceiving. Sitting across the desk from this petite and modest mother of one on the second floor at Head Office, one would never
guess that she had so much stamina and endurance. This has been
evident since she finished her first Comrades in 1990 in a time of 9
hours 13 minutes.
Madeleen was born in Dunottar near Nigel and matriculated at the Er
asmus High School in Bronkhorstspruit. She joined the Department of Correctional Services 12 years ago and lives with her family in Pierre van Ryneveldpark
in Centurion.
She had her eyes set on the Comrades Marathon since she first started running. Since
then she has finished 8 races, earning no less than 2 silver, 1 bronze, 1 Bull Rowan and
4 gold medals! Her best time and position in the Comrades Marathon was in 1999 when
she achieved sixth place in a time of 6:47:07. She also earned gold in 2000 and 2001.
However, Madeleen’s achievements are not only limited to the Comrades. She has
finished 10 Two Oceans Marathons and achieved a second place in 1994. Her personal
best time is 3:49:59 which she ran in 1996 when she came fourth. She has also run 7
City to City Marathons and she won the 50 km race for 4 consecutive years between
1993 and 1996!
We are proud of this colleague and would like to congratulate her on this, her latest achievement. One often hears that each athlete who finishes the Comrades is
a winner, but to be one of the top ten… well, that is truly a formidable feat!
Fighting corruption starts with you!
Dad!
I need a
pen.
page 12
After a
visit to
the store
room