Pretoria - The newly appointed National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Tom Moyane, has vowed to speed up change within the department in an effort to make it one of the best in contributing to public safety.
Addressing head office Correctional Managers and officials on Monday, Moyane emphasised accountability in all disciplines and highlighted the need for regional commissioners to be champions of implementing government policy.
He described his appointment as a beginning of a new chapter in the transformation of the department.
"I urge you [officials] to throw your weight behind efforts to build Correctional Services into an effective and dynamic institution," Moyane said.
Welcoming Moyane and the department's new Chief Financial Officer Eric Sokhela, Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said with the new appointments, she was confident that the department is set for a quick turn around.
She highlighted Moyane's success in his career, where he turned around the Government Printing Works from a R100 million deficit to a net positive balance of over half-a-billion rands in five years.
"Moyane's experience in strategic management in private and public sectors would come in handy in providing leadership to the department at this critical time," Mapisa-Nqakula said.
Commenting on Sokhela, the minister noted that his outstanding success was being the head of finance in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature for 10 years, nine of which the legislature received nine unqualified reports.
"If he could do it with the KZN legislature, I hope he will achieve it with us," she said.
