Inmates celebrate family day
Prisoners in the Polokwane Correctional Service Centre do not have the leisure of lying around and doing nothing, this was evident during the family day celebration on June 16 at the centre.
POLOKWANE – Prisoners in the Polokwane Correctional Service Centre do not have the leisure of lying around and doing nothing, this was evident during the family day celebration on June 16 at the centre. The celebration is held to encourage families to support their relatives in jail as they get rehabilitated in order to fit into society again. The event allows the families to get acquainted with other families that have relatives in the correctional facility, giving them the opportunity to construct a support network for the relatives when they are released from the facility. Zandile Mabunda, communications manager at the correctonal centre, says a family support system is very important to assist the offenders with adapting to society after they have been released. “We get the chance to determine the support offenders have during days like this, because one day they will be released and will need full support from their families,” she says.
Two young ladies took time from their busy schedules to adopt inmates and spend the day with them. Khensani Ntsanwisi and Katekani Makhubele, visited with three inmates whose families didn’t attend the event and treated them to lunch and some other treats. “I have been doing this with my mom for some time now but it’s my first time visiting the Polokwane centre, I took the little that I have and shared it with someone, hoping I made a difference in their lives,” says Ntsanwisi. Mkahubele says, it was an overwhelming experience because she was doing it for the first time. “It breaks my heart seeing a woman in prison, her children at home while she is incarcerated, especially during this cold season. I hope our motivational talk will make a difference in their lives and make them become better people one day,” she says.
An inmate, Johanna Maswanganyi (55), says she spends her time in prison making items, one of the activities she enjoys is beading. Another offender, Peter Madikoto (28), says he was sentenced to five years of which he has served four. “This place made me realise that the life I chose was not good, I took it upon myself to change and become a better person. I decided to spend my time in prison working towards my future. I have completed my gr. 12 certificate here in jail, I have a diploma in theology, IT certificate with PC Training and I am a peer educator for HIV/Aids and TB. I have achieved a lot, these skills will benefit me and my family when I am released,” he says with confidence. David Noah Madikoto, who visited his brother, highlighted and expressed appreciation for the good work that the correctional services are doing by providing offenders with skills while they are serving their sentences. “To me family means everything, it’s something I cannot live without, I appreciate the time I get to spend with my brother, time to strengthen family bonds and remind each other about our family morals,” he says. The department of correctional services offers offender rehabilitation programmes, helping equip offenders with skills and knowledge, making an investment in their future so the can one day be released back into society as responsible citizens. The day was topped off with entertainment and a jumping castle for the children to enjoy.
