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Juvenile prisoners were urged to stay away from crime after being released.

Centre has a “mandate to rehabilitate”

 

The Thohoyandou Correctional Centre held a successful campaign to prepare juvenile prisoners and to equip them with wisdom to prevent a relapse into criminality after being released from prison.

“Even if you had committed crime in a group, tell yourself that you committed crime alone, because that can help you admit your sin or wrongdoing,” were the words of Nkhumeleni Mutavhi from the Vhembe District Municipality.

The campaign was also aimed at promoting the self-esteem of those in prison. “Being in prison does not mean that you are evil and that your God has rejected you,” Mutavhi said. “You (offenders) need to accept that you have committed crime and do the right thing. Do not violate the rights of other people.”

According to the Thohoyandou Management Area's internal communications officer, Thompho Nesane, the knowledge the offenders gained at this juncture will help them when they are released. They are encouraged to refrain from leading a life of crime by staying out of groups and to discover the purpose of life.

“We don’t have a dustbin of people as a department, but we have a mandate to rehabilitate offenders, so that they can become better people in their communities and help their communities with the skills they have acquired while they were incarcerated. This will also help to avoid and minimize relapsing,” said the head of the female and juvenile centre, Vho-Joyce Rambuda.

Avhatakali Damba, a social worker, said: “When you (offenders) are released, you need to know the good people that you can associate with, so that you do not commit crime again and live a better life”.

A juvenile prisoner, Mandla Ndove, said he was unreservedly conveying his sincere regret to the community he had wronged. “I want the community to accept me back when I am released,” said Ndove. He concluded by saying, “I am learning from my mistakes and I need the youth to know that prison is not the home of a person. Go to school, stay away from alcohol and live a better life.”

 

Date:25 September 2015

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

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