Date: 29/06/2006
Source: Ministry of Correctional Services
Title: Balfour: Donation of computers to Rustenburg Correctional Centre
Speech by the Minister of Correctional Services, honourable BMN Balfour, MP, at a donation of computers to the Rustenburg Correctional Centre
Honourable Premier, Edna Molewa,
Members of the Provincial Executive Council,
Senior government officials,
Senior management of DCS,
Representatives of the Provincial Youth Commission,
Traditional leaders,
Civic leaders,
Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen;
Our presence here today signifies a memorable reflection of the struggle waged by the 16 June youth generation that became a catalyst in the history of many struggles fought by generations of leaders of our liberation movements in the fight for a free and democratic South Africa.
As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Soweto Uprisings during this month, let us also not lose sight of the very same importance of the linkage between the objectives of the 16 June youth revolution and those of the country’s democratic constitution whose 10th anniversary we are also celebrating. It is for this reason that we need to reflect on the successes, milestones and challenges in advancing the interests of the youth of today so that they contribute to the strengthening of our democracy and the development of the country in general.
Challenges that face the youth of today are somehow different to those of the 16 June generation who were victims of racial, class and gender discrimination and inequalities.
Whilst our democracy has brought about a number of opportunities for the youth they however are confronted with a number of challenges with regard to their participation in the mainstream of the South African society’s activities, particularly with regard to access to opportunities offered in the education, health and economic sectors.
The rate of illiteracy and HIV/AIDS infection amongst the youth is alarming whilst the rapid increase of youth involved in criminal activities is also a cause for concern. Similarly the huge number of incarcerated youth in our correctional centres cannot be overemphasised though attempts are being made to reduce them through alternative sentencing for certain categories of crimes and other diversion programmes.
Our youth can no longer become mere spectators in the development of the country, particularly with regard to participation in the mainstream of our economy. We need to accelerate the turn around strategy of the national youth development programme so that we reduce the army of unemployed youth and establish diversion programmes for them.
As we celebrate the contribution of the 16 June generation to our freedom and democracy, we cannot overlook the profound gains we have made in advancing youth interests and the gains brought about by our democracy. The increasing access to social wages for the poor, increased access of the poor to primary education, water and sanitation and the opportunities that have been availed through Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) initiatives, are some of the critical gains and successes we need to highlight.
The challenge, however, remains as to how to enable the youth to claim a share in this economy how to create an environment that enables the youth of today to take advantage of the programmes meant to improve their conditions?
Honourable Mayor, our presence here today to receive the computers that you are donating is testimony to and indicative of our commitment to youth development. Whilst many of the opportunities we have alluded to can only be accessed by youth outside of correctional centres, who are not in conflict with the law, there are however many opportunities for the youth and juveniles in our centres.
This co–operation and partnership between the North West Provincial Government and the Department of Correctional Services to ensure the development of Information Technology (IT) skills for juveniles in this centre is a ground breaking initiative that further advances the objectives of the Sustainable Youth Development Strategy (SYDS).
At this juncture let me therefore reflect on the strides made by my Department to also ensure that the interests of the youth, particularly the juveniles in correctional centres are taken care of as part of our youth development initiatives.
The development and implementation of a compulsory rehabilitation programmes for juveniles has seen a number of successes in our centres in the field of education. A clear example is the success and fruitful results that are yielded by our educational programmes at the Durban Westville Youth School, which is our flagship school in terms of our centres of excellence. There we have had a 100 percent pass rate of our juveniles in various grades for two consecutive years since 2004 and we are producing inmates who have realistic and realisable ambitions of becoming professionals in various disciplines, as soon as they have been released. Based on the successes of Durban Westville Youth School, the Department is in the process of registering all its current youth centres as full time schools so as to ensure that centres of excellence become centres of education, knowledge and information. This will create enabling environment for offenders to begin a new life.
A number of our youth and juveniles at the centre are currently undergoing tertiary studies to further advance their education with a view to contributing to the development of their communities upon release. Our centres of excellence where practical rehabilitation programmes take place are geared towards producing a new generation of youth and juveniles that must define the nature and character of the youth of today.
Through our rehabilitation programmes targeting juveniles and the youth, our ambition is to produce rehabilitated graduates and professionals in various skills, which they can plough back to their communities and develop both the second and first economy.
As an indication of our commitment to youth development in correctional centres, the Department is in the process of introducing the national curriculum statement for grade 10 in the centres of excellence to further enhance our commitment to ensuring that education forms one of the key tenets of rehabilitation. Plans to ensure that all juveniles of school going age attend educational programmes as required by the Correctional Services Act, Act 111 of 1998 and the South African Schools Act, Act 84 of 1996 are also underway as a testimony to this commitment.
This is also what we would like to see being extended to and emulated by juveniles and youth in the various centres of correctional services.
With this donation of computers, this centre is also on course to being one of the key centres that is geared towards the development of juveniles and youth.
On the issue of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in correctional centres, my Department shall continue to prioritise the treatment of HIV/AIDS particularly amongst the youth and juveniles in its programmes. It is for this reason that a comprehensive HIV/AIDS treatment programme that conforms to the national policy guidelines on HIV/AIDS are proceeding in three of our Anti-retroviral (ARV) accredited correctional centres namely Grootvlei in the Free State, Qalakabusha in Pietermaritzburg and Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal. The programme is jointly implemented with the Department of Health as a sole service provider of such treatment.
A further accreditation of three correctional centres as ARV sites is also in the pipeline. This programme is complemented by a national communication drive to educate inmates about this disease and a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS prevalence survey to establish the extent of this scourge in our correctional centres so that we can introduce a holistic treatment informed by clear figures and statistics as we want to avoid a reactive and spontaneous response to this disease.
Honourable Premier, the donation of the computers to the Rustenburg centre comes in the wake of a similar donation by the Shuttleworth Foundation to the Pollsmoor Juvenile Centre to introduce IT and computer skills pilot project to juveniles.
On 24 May 2006, I launched the first phase of this IT skills revolution pilot project for offenders at Pollsmoor and this is the second project of this kind during this year alone.
I am confident that other centres throughout the country will soon follow Rustenburg and Pollsmoor as we gradually introduce this project, which is expected to culminate in drastic digital and IT skills revolution for juvenile offenders. We are therefore saying to offenders ‘this is the opportunity of a life time to grab with both hands so that you make a difference to your own life and future as well as society when you are released.’
As I conclude, honourable Premier, what we have witnessed today is an attempt to further advance and carry forward the spirit of our communication and outreach programme, Operation Masibambisane (Let’s Join Hands and Work Together) which aims to target provincial and local governments traditional and civic structures as well as rural and urban communities to actively participate in the rehabilitation and social re–integration of offenders.
Today, we have indeed witnessed Operation Masibambisane in its true meaning. We are humbled by your donation and are confident that the juveniles and youth inmates will not disappoint us but will grab this opportunity to prepare themselves for a better future after their release. I am also throwing down the gauntlet to the youth formations and particularly the provincial youth commission to initiate jointly with ourselves constructive youth development programmes for youth and juveniles in our correctional centres. The development and rehabilitation of youth in correctional centres is a responsibility for all of us and let us continue to join hands in fulfilling this responsibility.
I thank you!
Issued by: Ministry of Correctional Services
29 June 2006
Source: Ministry of Correctional Services
Title: Balfour: Donation of computers to Rustenburg Correctional Centre
Speech by the Minister of Correctional Services, honourable BMN Balfour, MP, at a donation of computers to the Rustenburg Correctional Centre
Honourable Premier, Edna Molewa,
Members of the Provincial Executive Council,
Senior government officials,
Senior management of DCS,
Representatives of the Provincial Youth Commission,
Traditional leaders,
Civic leaders,
Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen;
Our presence here today signifies a memorable reflection of the struggle waged by the 16 June youth generation that became a catalyst in the history of many struggles fought by generations of leaders of our liberation movements in the fight for a free and democratic South Africa.
As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Soweto Uprisings during this month, let us also not lose sight of the very same importance of the linkage between the objectives of the 16 June youth revolution and those of the country’s democratic constitution whose 10th anniversary we are also celebrating. It is for this reason that we need to reflect on the successes, milestones and challenges in advancing the interests of the youth of today so that they contribute to the strengthening of our democracy and the development of the country in general.
Challenges that face the youth of today are somehow different to those of the 16 June generation who were victims of racial, class and gender discrimination and inequalities.
Whilst our democracy has brought about a number of opportunities for the youth they however are confronted with a number of challenges with regard to their participation in the mainstream of the South African society’s activities, particularly with regard to access to opportunities offered in the education, health and economic sectors.
The rate of illiteracy and HIV/AIDS infection amongst the youth is alarming whilst the rapid increase of youth involved in criminal activities is also a cause for concern. Similarly the huge number of incarcerated youth in our correctional centres cannot be overemphasised though attempts are being made to reduce them through alternative sentencing for certain categories of crimes and other diversion programmes.
Our youth can no longer become mere spectators in the development of the country, particularly with regard to participation in the mainstream of our economy. We need to accelerate the turn around strategy of the national youth development programme so that we reduce the army of unemployed youth and establish diversion programmes for them.
As we celebrate the contribution of the 16 June generation to our freedom and democracy, we cannot overlook the profound gains we have made in advancing youth interests and the gains brought about by our democracy. The increasing access to social wages for the poor, increased access of the poor to primary education, water and sanitation and the opportunities that have been availed through Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) initiatives, are some of the critical gains and successes we need to highlight.
The challenge, however, remains as to how to enable the youth to claim a share in this economy how to create an environment that enables the youth of today to take advantage of the programmes meant to improve their conditions?
Honourable Mayor, our presence here today to receive the computers that you are donating is testimony to and indicative of our commitment to youth development. Whilst many of the opportunities we have alluded to can only be accessed by youth outside of correctional centres, who are not in conflict with the law, there are however many opportunities for the youth and juveniles in our centres.
This co–operation and partnership between the North West Provincial Government and the Department of Correctional Services to ensure the development of Information Technology (IT) skills for juveniles in this centre is a ground breaking initiative that further advances the objectives of the Sustainable Youth Development Strategy (SYDS).
At this juncture let me therefore reflect on the strides made by my Department to also ensure that the interests of the youth, particularly the juveniles in correctional centres are taken care of as part of our youth development initiatives.
The development and implementation of a compulsory rehabilitation programmes for juveniles has seen a number of successes in our centres in the field of education. A clear example is the success and fruitful results that are yielded by our educational programmes at the Durban Westville Youth School, which is our flagship school in terms of our centres of excellence. There we have had a 100 percent pass rate of our juveniles in various grades for two consecutive years since 2004 and we are producing inmates who have realistic and realisable ambitions of becoming professionals in various disciplines, as soon as they have been released. Based on the successes of Durban Westville Youth School, the Department is in the process of registering all its current youth centres as full time schools so as to ensure that centres of excellence become centres of education, knowledge and information. This will create enabling environment for offenders to begin a new life.
A number of our youth and juveniles at the centre are currently undergoing tertiary studies to further advance their education with a view to contributing to the development of their communities upon release. Our centres of excellence where practical rehabilitation programmes take place are geared towards producing a new generation of youth and juveniles that must define the nature and character of the youth of today.
Through our rehabilitation programmes targeting juveniles and the youth, our ambition is to produce rehabilitated graduates and professionals in various skills, which they can plough back to their communities and develop both the second and first economy.
As an indication of our commitment to youth development in correctional centres, the Department is in the process of introducing the national curriculum statement for grade 10 in the centres of excellence to further enhance our commitment to ensuring that education forms one of the key tenets of rehabilitation. Plans to ensure that all juveniles of school going age attend educational programmes as required by the Correctional Services Act, Act 111 of 1998 and the South African Schools Act, Act 84 of 1996 are also underway as a testimony to this commitment.
This is also what we would like to see being extended to and emulated by juveniles and youth in the various centres of correctional services.
With this donation of computers, this centre is also on course to being one of the key centres that is geared towards the development of juveniles and youth.
On the issue of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in correctional centres, my Department shall continue to prioritise the treatment of HIV/AIDS particularly amongst the youth and juveniles in its programmes. It is for this reason that a comprehensive HIV/AIDS treatment programme that conforms to the national policy guidelines on HIV/AIDS are proceeding in three of our Anti-retroviral (ARV) accredited correctional centres namely Grootvlei in the Free State, Qalakabusha in Pietermaritzburg and Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal. The programme is jointly implemented with the Department of Health as a sole service provider of such treatment.
A further accreditation of three correctional centres as ARV sites is also in the pipeline. This programme is complemented by a national communication drive to educate inmates about this disease and a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS prevalence survey to establish the extent of this scourge in our correctional centres so that we can introduce a holistic treatment informed by clear figures and statistics as we want to avoid a reactive and spontaneous response to this disease.
Honourable Premier, the donation of the computers to the Rustenburg centre comes in the wake of a similar donation by the Shuttleworth Foundation to the Pollsmoor Juvenile Centre to introduce IT and computer skills pilot project to juveniles.
On 24 May 2006, I launched the first phase of this IT skills revolution pilot project for offenders at Pollsmoor and this is the second project of this kind during this year alone.
I am confident that other centres throughout the country will soon follow Rustenburg and Pollsmoor as we gradually introduce this project, which is expected to culminate in drastic digital and IT skills revolution for juvenile offenders. We are therefore saying to offenders ‘this is the opportunity of a life time to grab with both hands so that you make a difference to your own life and future as well as society when you are released.’
As I conclude, honourable Premier, what we have witnessed today is an attempt to further advance and carry forward the spirit of our communication and outreach programme, Operation Masibambisane (Let’s Join Hands and Work Together) which aims to target provincial and local governments traditional and civic structures as well as rural and urban communities to actively participate in the rehabilitation and social re–integration of offenders.
Today, we have indeed witnessed Operation Masibambisane in its true meaning. We are humbled by your donation and are confident that the juveniles and youth inmates will not disappoint us but will grab this opportunity to prepare themselves for a better future after their release. I am also throwing down the gauntlet to the youth formations and particularly the provincial youth commission to initiate jointly with ourselves constructive youth development programmes for youth and juveniles in our correctional centres. The development and rehabilitation of youth in correctional centres is a responsibility for all of us and let us continue to join hands in fulfilling this responsibility.
I thank you!
Issued by: Ministry of Correctional Services
29 June 2006
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