Offenders awarded for their achievements
Over 100 offenders were awarded for their outstanding work.
Witbank Correctional Centre held the Offenders’ Award Ceremony recently.
The ceremony was held on Thursday, November 29 for offenders who work hard during the year to achieve their goals and develop themselves.
According to Thabile Mahlangu, manager communications in Department of Correctional Service Witbank Management Area said the correctional services have educational programmes which are divided into the following: skills development, advanced education and training, library and sports, recreation, arts and culture (SRAC).
Over 100 offenders were awarded for their outstanding work.
“Stakeholders who were part of this event include African Bank and the Department of Education. Distinctive achievers received watches, bags and pens courtesy of African Bank. Mr William Maabane, the principal at the centre, gave the purpose of the day and quoted ‘You don’t have to be great to start but you have started to be great.’ He told the offenders that they have to encourage each other; they have to tell those who are not doing anything that they can still make it. This exercise is also used to recruit more offenders to register to study for next year,” Mahlangu said.
Mr Kolweni Zithobeni from the Department of Education talked about the importance of a person to know that there are people who love them and believe in them. He said that people give up in life because they don’t know that they are important in the world.
“This is but one of the many programmes that correctional services is offering to offenders in an attempt to rehabilitate offending behaviour. Participation from the community and sister departments is vital in ensuring that this mandate is achieved,” added Mahlangu.
