Zonderwater hosts stakeholders meeting
Zonderwater hosted a stakeholder engagement to aid parolees and probationers through rehabilitation.
Zonderwater hosted a stakeholders engagement to aid parolees and probationers through rehabilitation on September 27.
The Zonderwater Recreational Hall bore witness to a profound and deeply emotional gathering.
The event was attended by the police, the Department of Social Development, the South African National Council on Drugs and Alcohol (Sanca), SA Partners, Siyathemba Nokeng (NGO), parolees, probationers, and their caregivers and Refilwe Mogale who is a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.
The event opened with a welcome from Thalita Tshehla, Zonderwater Area Coordinator Correction, divulging her words of gratitude as she beheld the turnout.
Tshehla said for offenders to break the inertia of criminal behaviour, it requires support and opportunities for change.
“We share this offender rehabilitation journey with you, these offenders have already been punished by law when serving their time in custody.”
She pleaded with stakeholders and the community to participate in restorative justice by promoting reconciliation and rehabilitation for offenders.
It was a day when the pain of unemployment, the agony of stigmatisation, the desperate plea for support in matters of health, the weight of criminal records, the intensity of DCS monitoring officials’ visits and the heart-wrenching battle against substance abuse were all laid bare.
Moses Chauke, a parolee much-admired the department for offering them as offenders rehabilitation programs while incarcerated.
Chauke said, “The skills we receive from the correctional facilities made us realise our values within our families, we are changed men.”
He pleaded with the community to spare them job opportunities to prove themselves. Refilwe Mogale, a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature raised her concern about the youth who succumb to illegal activities within the community.
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She continued, “Our youth has been swallowed by the issue of substance abuse, which has led them to re-offending behaviour.
“Let’s all work together to help them to quit as this will also assist in achieving the common goal of a safer and more rehabilitative correctional system.”
“I am pledging to open doors for programs that will successfully reintegrate the parolees and probationers back into society,” said Mogale.
Mashudu Mutamba, communications officer at Zonderwater Correctional, said the event came at the right time as the department was celebrating the corrections week.
It fostered a space where participants openly shared their tears, concerns, and hopes.
Caregivers, with tear-stained cheeks, found their voices and vowed unwavering support for parolees on their journey to recovery.
One caregiver, moved to tears, promised to be the watchful eye and the shoulder to lean on. She vowed to provide financial support to help a parolee stand tall once again.
Amidst the emotional conversation, a stern message rang clear when all 26 parolees and probationers were cautioned against returning to the paths that led them astray. The message was not just words but an impassioned plea, a plea from the heart.
