The Department of Correctional Services indicated on May 10 that Bethal Management Area is working towards sustaining itself.
According to Siphiwe Mahlangu, communications manager of the area, it was attested on May 2 when the regional commissioner of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North–West, Tlabo Thokolo, led a delegation of five regional heads on a visit to the area. Thokolo was accompanied by an executive led by area commissioner, Abel Mashaba.
“The purpose of the visit was to assess the progress and state of readiness of two major projects currently underway at Standerton and Volksrust Correctional Centres,” Mahlangu said.
One project is the establishment of a bakery in the Standerton Correctional Centre and the other building offices for community corrections in Volksrust.
“Both projects are significant and historic as the Standerton bakery is the first bakery in the Bethal Management Area and the building of the Volksrust Community Corrections is the first in the country to be built by the department through its own labour and resources,” he said.
The department’s artisans will build the building, with the assistance of offenders and parolees who gained building skills through rehabilitation programmes of the department.
There are three female artisans involved in the project – a bricklayer, a painter and a welder. The delegation first visited Volksrust to view a site reserved for building an apartment at the Volksrust Community Corrections.
Their purpose was to meet artisans and assess the progress made towards the fulfilment of the project.
In his address, the regional commissioner informed the regional heads, executives and artisans the project would begin soon after Ronald Lamola, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, turned the soil.
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He also encouraged everyone to rally around the project.
According to Mahlangu, the regional commissioner and his delegation, together with the executive, proceeded to Standerton Correctional Centre to view the new bakery and assess its state of readiness.
“Thokolo was content and euphoric about the progress made,” the statement read.
Mashaba informed the regional commissioner and his delegation that once the bakery becomes fully operational, it will supply all five centres in the area with bread.
