Date: 04/04/2003
Source: Department of Correctional Services
Title: Skosana: Imbizo Outreach Programme in Tzaneen
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR BEN M SKOSANA, AT THE IMBIZO OUTREACH PROGRAMME, Tzaneen, Limpopo Province, 4 April
Programme Director
Mayor of Greater Tzaneen, Mr O J Mushwana
Kgosi Mhlaba
Kgosi Mnisi
Provincial Commissioner of Limpopo Province, Mr MG Buthelezi
Representatives of our stakeholders
Senior members of staff of Correctional Services
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is a great pleasure for me to be here today as part of the Government's Imbizo Outreach Programme and to celebrate this occasion with the people of Limpopo Province, who have continued to provide support for our programmes. As we are gathered here other Cabinet Ministers are engaged in various programmes in promoting the principle of Government coming to the people. The President has expressed concern about poor or non-existent interaction between the people and Government such that people do not have full knowledge about Government services.
To bridge this divide we have decided to go to the people by embarking on a process of identifying stakeholders and interest groups that we must reach in line with our core business. We are not waiting for these groups but we are reaching out to build true partnerships. It is for this reason that we thought it opportune to be here today and in Johannesburg on Monday next week so that we can interact with other stakeholders and deliberate on issues of concern, as well as to chart the path for future co-operation.
It is gratifying to note the warm welcome, which we received from our host Kgosi Mhlaba and his people. Your participation at to-day's occasion is a source of great encouragement to us as we note that you also support our efforts to push back the frontiers of poverty.
We are grateful that you also support our desire to ensure that our future poverty alleviation projects should involve both the communities and inmates at the coalface of such activities and thus do away with the situation where communities were simply passive recipients of our projects.
It is most fitting that the inauguration of our second poverty alleviation project took place in this Province soon after the launching of the Department's Poverty Alleviation Programme in Zonderwater in April last year. Today puts the cherry on top of the cake as we receive land from Kgosi Mnisi to further implement our poverty alleviation programme.
The Department of Correctional Services is today receiving fifteen hectares of agricultural land in Kgosi Mnisi's area in Bushbuckridge as a contribution to the rehabilitation and re-integration of prisoners into the community.
I would like to express our very sincere appreciation and gratitude to Kgosi Mnisi for his generosity and concern for the welfare of our communities.
What you have done Kgosi Mnisi is a fitting response to the call by the President in his State of the Nation address when he said "The tide has turned... Our task is to take this tide at the flood further to progress towards the achievement of the goals for which so many of our people sacrificed."
Our poverty alleviation programme, which we launched last year, has begun to bear fruit and the lives of our people will definitely improve and we shall be in step with the President to build a people's contract for a better South Africa.
You will recall that the Deputy President of our country Mr. Jacob Zuma launched our Poverty Alleviation and Development Programme in Zonderwater.
It is therefore a fitting coincidence that as we launch today's projects the Deputy President is also in this Province engaging communities on matters of service delivery.
Our poverty alleviation strategy found eloquent expression in this Province last year when the Department decided to deploy the services of prisoners at Mutshalingana Primary School in Thohoyandou to build three classrooms. It must be emphasised that the community collected funds for purchasing building materials.
About twenty prisoners, trained and guided by our personnel, took part in the construction exercise and they themselves benefited as they managed to acquire new skills in building work, carpentry, welding and others.
They further improved the water reticulation system by installing new pipes. These improvements stand to benefit about 450 learners from Mutshalingana Primary School and also future generations will benefit from this project.
The fact that the first Community Corrections Forum was launched in this Province and continues to flourish gives us a lot of encouragement with regard to the future of many of our projects.
The role of the Community Corrections Forums is very critical in the re-integration of offenders placed on parole and probation. The role of the community in this regard is of utmost importance in assisting the Department to monitor and supervise these people who have to complete their sentences in the community.
As I did on several occasions in the past, I wish to appeal to you to accept those offenders who bring back knowledge and skills acquired in prison through our development programmes.
Your involvement is even more important in facilitating and mediating the process of healing and reconciliation between the offender and the victim. Our Restorative Justice Programme calls for the involvement of families of victims, victims themselves, offenders and their families.
This principle is central to the new Correctional Supervision and Parole Boards, which will be functioning before the end of the year. The Correctional Services Act stipulates that two members of the Board will be members of the community as well as the Chairperson and Vice-chairperson. Only one member will be deployed from the Department to serve as a secretary of the Board. Other members from the Justice Crime Prevention and Security cluster will be co-opted where necessary.
The Act further stipulates that a complainant or victim or representative may make representations or attend a meeting of the Board.
These fundamental changes are some of the milestones achieved in the reform of Correctional Services in contributing to the maintenance of a just, peaceful and safe South Africa.
Unit Management as a philosophy adopted in running of prisons has over the years demonstrated its effectiveness as a strategy to reduce prison violence and control gang activity while contributing to achieving prisoner rehabilitation and effective preparation of offenders for their timely integration as law-abiding citizens.
As unit Management advanced further, it was followed by the development of appropriate prison designs to enhance its application and effectiveness. These new prison designs, which replaced the old 19th century penitentiaries that had become world standards, led to the creation of what became known as the "New Generation" prison.
Tzaneen has the opportunity of benefiting from being one of the first places in the country to have the "New Generation" prisons constructed.
It is envisaged that these facilities will assist in alleviating the high levels of overcrowding we are facing. However, it will be crucial for all of us to look for alternative methods of sentencing to avoid this monster of overcrowding.
It is clear that at the current cost of construction we will never be able to afford the resources needed to catch up with our growing prisoner population to eliminate the massive overcrowding that prevents us from effectively implementing rehabilitation programmes. In fact, a clearer understanding of the "New Generation" design concept shows that it is a flexible and adaptable concept that can produce various alternatives. Correctly applied, this concept can help us to address the problem of limited resources.
I would like to indicate that today's occasion is not necessarily to hear me speak, but it is for you to present your views, questions and comments to Government. As a result I will not make a long speech, except to leave you with some thoughts with regard to what challenges we as a Department are facing.
As in all other government departments, we are in the process of transformation and restructuring the Department for effective delivery on our legal mandate. We are expected to have the process finalised by June this year. This process is at an advanced stage albeit a demanding process that requires consultation with relevant stakeholders.
The proposals on the new direction in the range of services envisaged in the restructuring will without doubt require the retraining of existing personnel and revising the curriculum for basic training of new employees.
The only two training colleges available will certainly not cope with this mammoth task. JCPS cluster member departments are; however, ready to negotiate the sharing of such facilities.
The issue of the leadership core will be addressed through the recruitment of new leadership with competencies required to achieve these new strategic plans. Identification and recruitment of such capable senior managers will be conducted even amongst other government departments. The current restructuring process will include skills audit of all employees.
Prison overcrowding threatens to impede humane incarceration and rehabilitation of prisoners amongst others. This has become a cluster challenge. The DCS, SAPS, Justice and Constitutional Development and the National Prosecuting Authority will take joint responsibility in managing the awaiting trial detainees. A task team has been established to deal with the scourge of overcrowding.
An integrated policy process is underway to review the existing policies in order to bridge the identified policy gaps within the system. This process will be broadly consultative and we urge you to be part of the process.
I should mention at this point that we are winning the war against corruption with the work of the Jali Commission and other initiatives that the Department has embarked upon. We are also making a humble appeal to everybody to expose any form of corruption detected in order to assist us as well as Government in promoting a transparent and clean administration.
As part of the Criminal Justice System we contribute to the attainment of a just, peaceful and safe society. All the players in the criminal justice system and the community at large must share responsibilities and opportunities to prevent crime and to assist those who break the law to become law-abiding citizens.
As Correctional Services we carry out these responsibilities with the recognition that the successful integration of offenders is integral to preventing crime and protecting the society. We ought to respect the inherent potential and dignity of all individuals and the equal rights of all members of society, including people incarcerated in our facilities.
In conclusion, in order to speed up the implementation of Government's programme of action, we must build on the progress made as a basis for the further advances needed to eradicate poverty and transform our country into a just and prosperous society. We are confident that this programme will further help push back the frontiers of poverty if Government and society are to work together in a partnership.
Our presence today at this Imbizo Outreach Programme will help to build this partnership and contribute towards providing an answer to President Mbeki's call for us all to build a people's contract for a better South Africa.
This means building a people's contract for a safe and secure South Africa, so that communities work with a bigger police service to fight crime, to help reduce illegal firearms and to fight corruption.
It means building a people's contract for expanded access to social services such as registering those eligible for social grants, including the extended Child Support Grant, working in partnership against HIV and AIDS, ensuring that free basic electricity and water reach all who should have them and further expanding social services.
It means building a people's contract for growth and development and for a growing economy that expands economic opportunities and skills development to help reduce unemployment. It means building a people's contract for more efficient people-centred government that closer to citizens and provides easier access to services.
It means building a people's contract for African renewal in a safer world and working for peace, democracy and stability throughout our continent and beyond, therefore creating conditions for faster development in our own Country.
Finally, I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to all the members of the Community Corrections Forums for offering their time and resources as our partners in Corrections.
I also appreciate the presence of all other partners and you as a community who found the time to be with us here to look into those issues which are of great concern to us as a Nation. Let us treat this as the beginning of a chapter which we shall all be proud of.
Let's make it work.
God bless you
I thank you
Issued by Department of Correctional Services
4 April 2003
Source: (http://www.dcs.gov.za)
Source: Department of Correctional Services
Title: Skosana: Imbizo Outreach Programme in Tzaneen
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR BEN M SKOSANA, AT THE IMBIZO OUTREACH PROGRAMME, Tzaneen, Limpopo Province, 4 April
Programme Director
Mayor of Greater Tzaneen, Mr O J Mushwana
Kgosi Mhlaba
Kgosi Mnisi
Provincial Commissioner of Limpopo Province, Mr MG Buthelezi
Representatives of our stakeholders
Senior members of staff of Correctional Services
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is a great pleasure for me to be here today as part of the Government's Imbizo Outreach Programme and to celebrate this occasion with the people of Limpopo Province, who have continued to provide support for our programmes. As we are gathered here other Cabinet Ministers are engaged in various programmes in promoting the principle of Government coming to the people. The President has expressed concern about poor or non-existent interaction between the people and Government such that people do not have full knowledge about Government services.
To bridge this divide we have decided to go to the people by embarking on a process of identifying stakeholders and interest groups that we must reach in line with our core business. We are not waiting for these groups but we are reaching out to build true partnerships. It is for this reason that we thought it opportune to be here today and in Johannesburg on Monday next week so that we can interact with other stakeholders and deliberate on issues of concern, as well as to chart the path for future co-operation.
It is gratifying to note the warm welcome, which we received from our host Kgosi Mhlaba and his people. Your participation at to-day's occasion is a source of great encouragement to us as we note that you also support our efforts to push back the frontiers of poverty.
We are grateful that you also support our desire to ensure that our future poverty alleviation projects should involve both the communities and inmates at the coalface of such activities and thus do away with the situation where communities were simply passive recipients of our projects.
It is most fitting that the inauguration of our second poverty alleviation project took place in this Province soon after the launching of the Department's Poverty Alleviation Programme in Zonderwater in April last year. Today puts the cherry on top of the cake as we receive land from Kgosi Mnisi to further implement our poverty alleviation programme.
The Department of Correctional Services is today receiving fifteen hectares of agricultural land in Kgosi Mnisi's area in Bushbuckridge as a contribution to the rehabilitation and re-integration of prisoners into the community.
I would like to express our very sincere appreciation and gratitude to Kgosi Mnisi for his generosity and concern for the welfare of our communities.
What you have done Kgosi Mnisi is a fitting response to the call by the President in his State of the Nation address when he said "The tide has turned... Our task is to take this tide at the flood further to progress towards the achievement of the goals for which so many of our people sacrificed."
Our poverty alleviation programme, which we launched last year, has begun to bear fruit and the lives of our people will definitely improve and we shall be in step with the President to build a people's contract for a better South Africa.
You will recall that the Deputy President of our country Mr. Jacob Zuma launched our Poverty Alleviation and Development Programme in Zonderwater.
It is therefore a fitting coincidence that as we launch today's projects the Deputy President is also in this Province engaging communities on matters of service delivery.
Our poverty alleviation strategy found eloquent expression in this Province last year when the Department decided to deploy the services of prisoners at Mutshalingana Primary School in Thohoyandou to build three classrooms. It must be emphasised that the community collected funds for purchasing building materials.
About twenty prisoners, trained and guided by our personnel, took part in the construction exercise and they themselves benefited as they managed to acquire new skills in building work, carpentry, welding and others.
They further improved the water reticulation system by installing new pipes. These improvements stand to benefit about 450 learners from Mutshalingana Primary School and also future generations will benefit from this project.
The fact that the first Community Corrections Forum was launched in this Province and continues to flourish gives us a lot of encouragement with regard to the future of many of our projects.
The role of the Community Corrections Forums is very critical in the re-integration of offenders placed on parole and probation. The role of the community in this regard is of utmost importance in assisting the Department to monitor and supervise these people who have to complete their sentences in the community.
As I did on several occasions in the past, I wish to appeal to you to accept those offenders who bring back knowledge and skills acquired in prison through our development programmes.
Your involvement is even more important in facilitating and mediating the process of healing and reconciliation between the offender and the victim. Our Restorative Justice Programme calls for the involvement of families of victims, victims themselves, offenders and their families.
This principle is central to the new Correctional Supervision and Parole Boards, which will be functioning before the end of the year. The Correctional Services Act stipulates that two members of the Board will be members of the community as well as the Chairperson and Vice-chairperson. Only one member will be deployed from the Department to serve as a secretary of the Board. Other members from the Justice Crime Prevention and Security cluster will be co-opted where necessary.
The Act further stipulates that a complainant or victim or representative may make representations or attend a meeting of the Board.
These fundamental changes are some of the milestones achieved in the reform of Correctional Services in contributing to the maintenance of a just, peaceful and safe South Africa.
Unit Management as a philosophy adopted in running of prisons has over the years demonstrated its effectiveness as a strategy to reduce prison violence and control gang activity while contributing to achieving prisoner rehabilitation and effective preparation of offenders for their timely integration as law-abiding citizens.
As unit Management advanced further, it was followed by the development of appropriate prison designs to enhance its application and effectiveness. These new prison designs, which replaced the old 19th century penitentiaries that had become world standards, led to the creation of what became known as the "New Generation" prison.
Tzaneen has the opportunity of benefiting from being one of the first places in the country to have the "New Generation" prisons constructed.
It is envisaged that these facilities will assist in alleviating the high levels of overcrowding we are facing. However, it will be crucial for all of us to look for alternative methods of sentencing to avoid this monster of overcrowding.
It is clear that at the current cost of construction we will never be able to afford the resources needed to catch up with our growing prisoner population to eliminate the massive overcrowding that prevents us from effectively implementing rehabilitation programmes. In fact, a clearer understanding of the "New Generation" design concept shows that it is a flexible and adaptable concept that can produce various alternatives. Correctly applied, this concept can help us to address the problem of limited resources.
I would like to indicate that today's occasion is not necessarily to hear me speak, but it is for you to present your views, questions and comments to Government. As a result I will not make a long speech, except to leave you with some thoughts with regard to what challenges we as a Department are facing.
As in all other government departments, we are in the process of transformation and restructuring the Department for effective delivery on our legal mandate. We are expected to have the process finalised by June this year. This process is at an advanced stage albeit a demanding process that requires consultation with relevant stakeholders.
The proposals on the new direction in the range of services envisaged in the restructuring will without doubt require the retraining of existing personnel and revising the curriculum for basic training of new employees.
The only two training colleges available will certainly not cope with this mammoth task. JCPS cluster member departments are; however, ready to negotiate the sharing of such facilities.
The issue of the leadership core will be addressed through the recruitment of new leadership with competencies required to achieve these new strategic plans. Identification and recruitment of such capable senior managers will be conducted even amongst other government departments. The current restructuring process will include skills audit of all employees.
Prison overcrowding threatens to impede humane incarceration and rehabilitation of prisoners amongst others. This has become a cluster challenge. The DCS, SAPS, Justice and Constitutional Development and the National Prosecuting Authority will take joint responsibility in managing the awaiting trial detainees. A task team has been established to deal with the scourge of overcrowding.
An integrated policy process is underway to review the existing policies in order to bridge the identified policy gaps within the system. This process will be broadly consultative and we urge you to be part of the process.
I should mention at this point that we are winning the war against corruption with the work of the Jali Commission and other initiatives that the Department has embarked upon. We are also making a humble appeal to everybody to expose any form of corruption detected in order to assist us as well as Government in promoting a transparent and clean administration.
As part of the Criminal Justice System we contribute to the attainment of a just, peaceful and safe society. All the players in the criminal justice system and the community at large must share responsibilities and opportunities to prevent crime and to assist those who break the law to become law-abiding citizens.
As Correctional Services we carry out these responsibilities with the recognition that the successful integration of offenders is integral to preventing crime and protecting the society. We ought to respect the inherent potential and dignity of all individuals and the equal rights of all members of society, including people incarcerated in our facilities.
In conclusion, in order to speed up the implementation of Government's programme of action, we must build on the progress made as a basis for the further advances needed to eradicate poverty and transform our country into a just and prosperous society. We are confident that this programme will further help push back the frontiers of poverty if Government and society are to work together in a partnership.
Our presence today at this Imbizo Outreach Programme will help to build this partnership and contribute towards providing an answer to President Mbeki's call for us all to build a people's contract for a better South Africa.
This means building a people's contract for a safe and secure South Africa, so that communities work with a bigger police service to fight crime, to help reduce illegal firearms and to fight corruption.
It means building a people's contract for expanded access to social services such as registering those eligible for social grants, including the extended Child Support Grant, working in partnership against HIV and AIDS, ensuring that free basic electricity and water reach all who should have them and further expanding social services.
It means building a people's contract for growth and development and for a growing economy that expands economic opportunities and skills development to help reduce unemployment. It means building a people's contract for more efficient people-centred government that closer to citizens and provides easier access to services.
It means building a people's contract for African renewal in a safer world and working for peace, democracy and stability throughout our continent and beyond, therefore creating conditions for faster development in our own Country.
Finally, I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to all the members of the Community Corrections Forums for offering their time and resources as our partners in Corrections.
I also appreciate the presence of all other partners and you as a community who found the time to be with us here to look into those issues which are of great concern to us as a Nation. Let us treat this as the beginning of a chapter which we shall all be proud of.
Let's make it work.
God bless you
I thank you
Issued by Department of Correctional Services
4 April 2003
Source: (http://www.dcs.gov.za)
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