On the 30th of September, the Department Of Correctional Services(DCS) hosted a Boksburg Management Area Imbizo at Thokoza Church Hall in an effort of reaching out to the community members and encouraging them to combat crime. This also gives the DCS a chance to inform community members about other services the department can provide.
The Imbizo was organised collectively by the following stakeholders: faith Based Organisation, Thokoza SAPS, Thokoza Transnet Community Centre, The Joseph Principle Ex Offender’s Organisation, Salvation Foundation, Kaofela and Helping Hands NGO.
Speakers from various local community organisations and foundations took turns on the stage. The DCS also invited parolees along with their families.
The Ward 56 councillor Fani Fani Radebe welcomed the attendees to the Imbizo.
“I like what the stakeholders are doing, coming up with such a good program that speaks about transferring skills. It gives people skills and ex-offenders have benefited from it which makes it unique. I am also tempted to adopt the programme because such programmes cannot happen once but they need to be continuous,” said Fani Fani Radebe.
Sello Modise who is the Communications officer at the Boksburg Correctional Services facility highlighted the importance of community involvement in correcting the wrongs in our community.
“Our people and ex-offenders need a designated place where they can showcase their skills and use the skills they acquired while they were at our Correctional facilities. The role of Correctional Services is not only to detain. It is also to create a lawful environment which is safe and peaceful for everyone hence we give offenders these skills to make something for themselves,” said Sello Modise.
Modise added that Correctional services’ responsibility is a huge one but it needs everyone to be involved. To correct is to fix and we as the community have a tendency of waiting for someone to be locked up before we can correct him/her however a person needs to be corrected before he/she goes to jail.
Nolungelo Hlela, an ex-offender who was sentenced to six years in jail for defrauding a bank she worked for said even though there are good things in prison she doesn’t wish anyone to go there because it forces people to do things that they don’t like in order to survive.
“While I was in prison I learned to put myself first and to think positively all the time because I realized that thinking negatively seemed like a weakness that brought me closer to death. Be positive do what you can, take care of yourself and that doesn’t imply that you are selfish but it shows that you are taking care of yourself, and a positive mind will take you a long way in life because if you are positive mentally nothing will disturb you, ” said Hlela.
Community members in attendance were reminded that working as individuals will not benefit them in fighting crime but if they can come together and form groups to fight it, they can win. Before crime there is life, family and parents, so all those factors play a huge role in combating crime, if criminals are nabbed at an early age they will be eradicated in the society.
By Lubabalo Roro
