Correctional Services Deputy Minister Lindiwe Ntshalintshali says the opening of the Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy at Drakenstein Correctional Facility is both a historic milestone and a powerful reminder of the country’s journey since 11 February 1990.
Ntshalintshali spoke to SAnews on Wednesday following the official opening of the academy by President Cyril Ramaphosa. She described the day as deeply significant for the Department of Correctional Services and the nation.
“Today, we started at the Mandela Museum House, where [Mandela] was [taken to] before his actual release, and we walked down memory lane, and our current President was part of the team of the release committee, which was negotiating with Madiba preparing for his final release,” Ntshalintshali said.
She said being at the historic house was a moving experience, particularly witnessing President Ramaphosa reflect on his own role during the negotiations that preceded Madiba’s release.
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“... This day, 11 February, is very significant,” she said of the day when President Nelson Mandela was released from prison.
Ntshalintshali welcomed the President’s emphasis on preserving the site as a living heritage space to make sure that the heritage site is kept alive and it attracts people, who will in turn learn a great deal about the country's history.
Following the visit to the museum house, the delegation proceeded to the correctional facility, where a plaque was unveiled and the Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy was officially opened.
Ntshalintshali said it was an honour for the Department of Correctional Services to play its part in the preservation of South Africa's history. She said the President’s acknowledgement of correctional officials’ work under challenging and often dangerous conditions was particularly meaningful.
Reflecting on the symbolic weight of the day, Ntshalintshali said the President’s remarks during the formal launch took those in attendance on a journey from 1990 to the present.
“... [The past] 36 years... have changed South Africa drastically," she said, reflecting on how the social and economic landscape has changed.
Ntshalintshali used the occasion to call on South Africans not to forget the sacrifices that shaped the country’s democracy.
“I’m calling on all South Africans to say, 'You dare not fail' (sic). We are a product of a struggle. Never forget where you come from and never forget what shaped and moulded you," she said.
Turning to the role of Correctional Services, Ntshalintshali stressed that incarceration should never mean abandonment.
She said the Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy will be pivotal in demonstrating the power of second chances. She appealed to families and communities to embrace rehabilitation and reintegration.
“Correctional Services is about community corrections, and corrections is a societal matter. Once [inmates] have served their time, they must be rehabilitated and reintegrated [into] their communities,” she said.
Ntshalintshali highlighted that much of the work showcased at the academy - from tiling and electrical work, to landscaping and furniture-making - was completed by inmates under the guidance of departmental artisans.
“We are proud to say we are rehabilitating our people… We’re saying everybody has a second chance in life,” she told SAnews.
The Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy is expected to strengthen training and rehabilitation efforts within Correctional Services, anchored in the values of dignity, restoration and second chances that defined Madiba’s legacy. – SAnews.gov.za
