Issued by: Welfare and Population Development
13 December 1996
Welfare and Population Development Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi leaves for Hendrina, Mpumalanga, tomorrow (Saturday) to launch a secure care pilot project under the management of the Inter-Ministeria Committee (IMC) on Young People at Risk.
Only youths between the ages of 13 and 18 who have committed serious offences and who have been appropriately assessed to be a threat to society, to themselves or to other young people, should be detained in secure care facilities.
An amount of R20 million to upgrade secure care facilities throughout the country, has recently been approved by the Department of Stat Expenditure, Mpumalanga's secure care facility, situated in Hendrina - an old prison - will be among those to upgraded, part of a national pilot project under the management of the IMC.
The IMC was established by President Nelson Mandela and Cabinet after the uncoordinated release of young people from prison in May 1995. Cabinet felt strongly at the time, that piecemeal solutions to what soon became a serious crisis in the Child and Youth Care System, was not an effective option, instructed the IMC to contain the crisis and design the transformation of the Child and Youth Care System.
The IMC has now completed its report and the draft policy for transformation, tabled before Cabinet on 13 December 1996. Another Cabinet meeting, on 15 January 1997, will discuss the report and the draft policy.
A critical component of the IMC's work and the necessary transformation has been the establishment of pilot projects to test out new paradigm principles, proposing new process and programmes.
ISSUED: Ms Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, MP Minister for Welfare aned Population Development
Enquiries: Brian Sokutu, Press Secretary Cellphone: 082-807-5397.