Three inmates at Ncome Prison have made a name for themselves and their province by excelling in a reading and debating competition for prisoners called Funda Mzansi. The country-wide competition, held in George, saw 210 offenders competing and it was Sithembiso Khumalo, Mqondisi Maduna and Nkululeko Mtshali who took national honours: Sithembiso was number one in book reading while Nkululeko was first in reading and book reviewing. Mqondisi and Nkululeko were also judged to have been the top debaters.
They reviewed an IsiZulu book called,’Inkinsela yase Mgungundlovu’ by CLS Nyembezi and were they were tested on their reading skills, summarising, tone usage for various characters within the story and narrating among other skills. Correctional Services Area Commissioner, Mr Zikhali, has been overwhelmed by what his ‘boys’ have achieved. “The competition is aimed at improving reading skills and developing creative minds. We want offenders to go back to their communities better people who will be able to change, not just themselves, but the world around them too, by utilising the skills they obtained in prison.”
It was the first time Ncome participated in this competition. While they practised hard, they were also quick to thank the warders for their support. Taking part in the competition is not the only thing these young men have focused on. They are now part of the Ncome Inmate Reading Academy (NIRA). They are not only sitting behind bars and waiting for the day to go back home but they are utilising this time to also improve their skills and they have matriculated inside prison.
Sithembiso continues studying for his N2 Industrial Electronics and Electro technology. Nkululeko said when he first arrived in Ncome, he was scared and thought his life was over until one of the warders told him to “rather spend time than serve time”. Mqondisi explained that he has always enjoyed reading and he believes that when you read there’ is a lot you learn and one is able to differentiate between lies and truth’.
In taking this initiative forward, Mr Zikhali said they will utilise the three offenders to promote and market the programme to other inmates. Establishing the Ncome Inmate Reading Academy (NIRA) is one of the ways to make sure that the offenders are skilled in reading and are given opportunities to better themselves through book clubs.
