Date: 01/07/2003
Source: Department of Correctional Services
Title: Skosana: Anniversary celebration of Mangaung Maximum Security Prison
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR BEN SKOSANA, MP, AT THE CELEBRATION OF THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE MANGAUNG MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON, Bloemfontein, 1 July 2003
Programme Director
Managing Director, Mr Frikkie Venter
Prison Director, Mr Wessel van Niekerk
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is a great pleasure for me to have been invited to join in the celebration of the second anniversary of the operation of Mangaung Maximum Security Prison under the Management of Group 4 Securitas. This project came into being as result of our programme of the government's economic growth and development policy on Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in the delivery of services.
Our presence here today signals our commitment to the PPP initiatives, which involve a contract between the public private sectors. The private sector is involved in the design, building, financing, operation and maintenance of a prison, and Government pays for the services to be rendered.
It is a universally accepted principle that the public sector cannot go solo in delivering public services without being assisted by other social partners including the private sector or business. In our case, it is imperative that when entering into such partnerships, we ensure that the citizens of the country will be the end beneficiaries. Governments must ensure that there will be value for money when entering into such partnerships and also ensure that they will meet the requirements of affordability and cost effectiveness.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is important for me to re-state that, by entering into this agreement, Government has not abandoned its legal mandate of managing the correctional system and prisons in this country. But has delegated some of its responsibilities to the private sector under specific contractual agreements and obligations. We remain the custodian of offenders referred to us through other processes of the criminal justice system.
We, however, believe that the private sector can help raise the threshold of quality services because it must have the capability of competitively delivering services to the Government.
This competitive relationship can enhance the performance of the public sector by creating constructive competition between the Department of Correctional Services and the private sector operators.
This is why the Department, in line with government policy, will continue to work on public-private partnerships to increase its capacity to efficiently deliver services and respond to the needs of our people in the true spirit of Batho Pele.
To achieve our objectives in this regard, and to signal our determination to succeed, our budgetary allocation for the current financial year stands at about R493 million for financing the operational costs of the two privately operated prisons, one of which is the Mangaung Maximum Security Prison.
The success of Mangaung Maximum Security Prison, which houses slightly more than three thousand maximum security inmates, has drawn interest from correctional services departments from afar. Delegates from Lesotho, Swaziland and the United Kingdom have visited the prison.
In the spirit of wanting to share our experiences in the field of public-private partnerships among other things, we are hosting the first meeting of Ministers responsible for Correctional in the SADC which takes place this Thursday, 3 July 2003. We hope and believe that from now on Correctional Service will be recognized as an integral and significant part of SADC so that we can be able to exchange ideas in the management of prisons.
One of the most critical responsibilities of Correctional Services is to ensure the safety and security of the Community. Over and above the safety offenders and staff, the Department is committed to reinforce delivery on secure facilities and the prevention of escapes. This is an integral part of the purpose of the correctional system, apart from it being a prerequisite for the rehabilitation process.
As much as the record of this prison in preventing escapes is good compared to the national average, I am informed that since the prison became operational, three prisoners have escaped and two of them were later captured. I would like you to re-dedicate yourselves to providing greater security for the sake of the community which has committed these prisoners to us in the first place.
Your efforts, in cooperation with the South African Police Service, will be greatly appreciated in capturing any escapees. One escape of an offender is one too many as our target is zero escape.
We are glad to note that the Mangaung Maximum Security Prison supports the Government's drive towards the rehabilitation of offenders by providing skills which will come in handy once the inmates return to the community.
Since the opening of this prison, more that 880 inmates completed various vocational training courses such as candle making, garment production, basic business skills and vegetable production, to name but a few.
Equal success has been experienced in the provision of educational programmes, wherein more than 1930 inmates successfully completed literacy courses such as ABET level 1 to 4 grade 12 as well as various distance learning courses.
I would like to stress that the purpose of rehabilitation is to provide a safe and appropriate environment that is conducive to influencing offenders to learn and adopt positive and appropriate value systems.
This would create a desire in them to lead productive lives as law-abiding citizens when they are released to the community.
It is gratifying to note that this prison is also participating in poverty alleviation programmes and that the surrounding communities have become beneficiaries as a result. We note with satisfaction that more than 8.4 tons of vegetables was donated from the prison gardens to charities in the city where underprivileged schools and people with disabilities have benefited.
An amount of R12 000 was donated to a hospice in Bloemfontein and all produce from vocational training workshops was donated to the Ikwezi Community Trust. This is within the context of pursuing partnerships which will benefit those of our people who are less fortunate that ourselves.
As part of our rehabilitation programmes, the Department is committed to the deployment of prisoner labour to produce goods and services which are of benefit to the local communities.
The biggest value of this exercise to us has been the engagement of offenders in projects that have a direct benefit to the community through agricultural and building projects.
Prisons such as this one made a valuable contribution towards the reduction of overcrowding in our prisons. Overcrowding has a negative effect on our operations as it impacts on staff morale due to unacceptable working conditions, and the ability of the Department to allocate resources effectively for the rehabilitation of offenders, and results in abnormally high maintenance costs of prison facilities.
The pleasure that we derive from our association with our partners in the private sector can only grow from our mutual desire to augment the lives of our surrounding communities. As the President said in his State of the Nation address, the tide has turned for us to build a social contract for the determination of the future of this country.
This we can only achieve with the assistance and backing of the community from which our prisoners came and to which they will return.
In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the positive impact which this prison has had on the local community, particularly the economic benefits for suppliers from the previously disadvantaged communities. Over and above the R25 million spent in the last ten months on procurement from local suppliers, the prison employs about 500 people, 80% of whom come from previously disadvantaged communities.
We shall continue to pursue the policy of creating partnerships with various stakeholders who feel committed to the upliftment of our people and to rely on the support of all stakeholders to meet the challenges that lie ahead and for the mutual benefit of all South Africans. God bless you all.
I thank you
Source: Department of Correctional Services (http://www.dcs.gov.za)
Source: Department of Correctional Services
Title: Skosana: Anniversary celebration of Mangaung Maximum Security Prison
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR BEN SKOSANA, MP, AT THE CELEBRATION OF THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE MANGAUNG MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON, Bloemfontein, 1 July 2003
Programme Director
Managing Director, Mr Frikkie Venter
Prison Director, Mr Wessel van Niekerk
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is a great pleasure for me to have been invited to join in the celebration of the second anniversary of the operation of Mangaung Maximum Security Prison under the Management of Group 4 Securitas. This project came into being as result of our programme of the government's economic growth and development policy on Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in the delivery of services.
Our presence here today signals our commitment to the PPP initiatives, which involve a contract between the public private sectors. The private sector is involved in the design, building, financing, operation and maintenance of a prison, and Government pays for the services to be rendered.
It is a universally accepted principle that the public sector cannot go solo in delivering public services without being assisted by other social partners including the private sector or business. In our case, it is imperative that when entering into such partnerships, we ensure that the citizens of the country will be the end beneficiaries. Governments must ensure that there will be value for money when entering into such partnerships and also ensure that they will meet the requirements of affordability and cost effectiveness.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is important for me to re-state that, by entering into this agreement, Government has not abandoned its legal mandate of managing the correctional system and prisons in this country. But has delegated some of its responsibilities to the private sector under specific contractual agreements and obligations. We remain the custodian of offenders referred to us through other processes of the criminal justice system.
We, however, believe that the private sector can help raise the threshold of quality services because it must have the capability of competitively delivering services to the Government.
This competitive relationship can enhance the performance of the public sector by creating constructive competition between the Department of Correctional Services and the private sector operators.
This is why the Department, in line with government policy, will continue to work on public-private partnerships to increase its capacity to efficiently deliver services and respond to the needs of our people in the true spirit of Batho Pele.
To achieve our objectives in this regard, and to signal our determination to succeed, our budgetary allocation for the current financial year stands at about R493 million for financing the operational costs of the two privately operated prisons, one of which is the Mangaung Maximum Security Prison.
The success of Mangaung Maximum Security Prison, which houses slightly more than three thousand maximum security inmates, has drawn interest from correctional services departments from afar. Delegates from Lesotho, Swaziland and the United Kingdom have visited the prison.
In the spirit of wanting to share our experiences in the field of public-private partnerships among other things, we are hosting the first meeting of Ministers responsible for Correctional in the SADC which takes place this Thursday, 3 July 2003. We hope and believe that from now on Correctional Service will be recognized as an integral and significant part of SADC so that we can be able to exchange ideas in the management of prisons.
One of the most critical responsibilities of Correctional Services is to ensure the safety and security of the Community. Over and above the safety offenders and staff, the Department is committed to reinforce delivery on secure facilities and the prevention of escapes. This is an integral part of the purpose of the correctional system, apart from it being a prerequisite for the rehabilitation process.
As much as the record of this prison in preventing escapes is good compared to the national average, I am informed that since the prison became operational, three prisoners have escaped and two of them were later captured. I would like you to re-dedicate yourselves to providing greater security for the sake of the community which has committed these prisoners to us in the first place.
Your efforts, in cooperation with the South African Police Service, will be greatly appreciated in capturing any escapees. One escape of an offender is one too many as our target is zero escape.
We are glad to note that the Mangaung Maximum Security Prison supports the Government's drive towards the rehabilitation of offenders by providing skills which will come in handy once the inmates return to the community.
Since the opening of this prison, more that 880 inmates completed various vocational training courses such as candle making, garment production, basic business skills and vegetable production, to name but a few.
Equal success has been experienced in the provision of educational programmes, wherein more than 1930 inmates successfully completed literacy courses such as ABET level 1 to 4 grade 12 as well as various distance learning courses.
I would like to stress that the purpose of rehabilitation is to provide a safe and appropriate environment that is conducive to influencing offenders to learn and adopt positive and appropriate value systems.
This would create a desire in them to lead productive lives as law-abiding citizens when they are released to the community.
It is gratifying to note that this prison is also participating in poverty alleviation programmes and that the surrounding communities have become beneficiaries as a result. We note with satisfaction that more than 8.4 tons of vegetables was donated from the prison gardens to charities in the city where underprivileged schools and people with disabilities have benefited.
An amount of R12 000 was donated to a hospice in Bloemfontein and all produce from vocational training workshops was donated to the Ikwezi Community Trust. This is within the context of pursuing partnerships which will benefit those of our people who are less fortunate that ourselves.
As part of our rehabilitation programmes, the Department is committed to the deployment of prisoner labour to produce goods and services which are of benefit to the local communities.
The biggest value of this exercise to us has been the engagement of offenders in projects that have a direct benefit to the community through agricultural and building projects.
Prisons such as this one made a valuable contribution towards the reduction of overcrowding in our prisons. Overcrowding has a negative effect on our operations as it impacts on staff morale due to unacceptable working conditions, and the ability of the Department to allocate resources effectively for the rehabilitation of offenders, and results in abnormally high maintenance costs of prison facilities.
The pleasure that we derive from our association with our partners in the private sector can only grow from our mutual desire to augment the lives of our surrounding communities. As the President said in his State of the Nation address, the tide has turned for us to build a social contract for the determination of the future of this country.
This we can only achieve with the assistance and backing of the community from which our prisoners came and to which they will return.
In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the positive impact which this prison has had on the local community, particularly the economic benefits for suppliers from the previously disadvantaged communities. Over and above the R25 million spent in the last ten months on procurement from local suppliers, the prison employs about 500 people, 80% of whom come from previously disadvantaged communities.
We shall continue to pursue the policy of creating partnerships with various stakeholders who feel committed to the upliftment of our people and to rely on the support of all stakeholders to meet the challenges that lie ahead and for the mutual benefit of all South Africans. God bless you all.
I thank you
Source: Department of Correctional Services (http://www.dcs.gov.za)
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