POLOKWANE – The wife of Premier Chupu Mathabatha, Maggie Mathabatha, and members of the First Lady’s Trust visited the Polokwane Correctional Services Centre last week to celebrate Women’s Month with the female inmates of various correctional centres in the province.
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The female offenders were dressed to the nines and beautifully made up for an uplifting programme comprising various beautiful choir pieces, a drama by Polokwane Correctional Services inmates as well as poems rendered by female offenders. Four therapists from the House of Asanté Spa offered neck and shoulder massages throughout the programme to the inmates.
Following a message from Itumeleng Letwaba, who told everybody that women behind bars are women too, Mathabatha delivered an uplifting message of support to the women.
She told them they were still the same women they had been before being incarcerated. She said the prison is “not a nice place to be” and called upon the women to ensure they will not come back once released. She called upon them to make sure they learn a meaningful skill during their time in prison and asked them not to despair, but be positive, as there still is a meaningful life ahead of them.
One of the motivational speakers, Reabetswe Molapo, inspired the women to have faith and believe that things will get better. She said every person has a purpose in life and they should ask God what they are to do, even if it is to inspire the person sharing a cell or inspire people outside.
She said inmates must know people are watching them and that prison is not the end of their journey as the older women can pass on lessons to younger ones. Molapo told the story of an inmate in America who felt prison was not so bad. She and a couple of other inmates had developed and started their own businesses, even getting air conditioners installed in their cells. “Each of you are a CEO,” she said.
“Make your own life better; don’t wait for government or prison authorities to do it. Economically or spiritually, make a positive impact where you are and if someone digs a hole for you, be a seed and sprout; grow where you are.”
Asked what ordinary people on the outside can do to make life bearable for the female inmates, a spokesperson for Correctional Services said books, cosmetics and toiletries are always welcome donations. Baby clothes and other baby necessities are also welcome as there are sometimes incarcerated mothers with babies.
There are currently two mothers with babies in the Polokwane Correctional Services Centre.
During their time in prison, women are offered programmes to teach them to sew and how to perform traditional dances among other valuable skills. They are also given the opportunity to better their school qualifications.
