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The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) participated in the official opening of the 97th edition of the Comrades Marathon and Expo at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban on 6 June 2014.  The DCS choir was on hand to render a musical item and mesmerised the international audience with their “Sigijima iComrades” song.

KwaZulu-Natal Regional Commissioner, Mnikelwa Nxele graced the occasion and echoed National Commissioner, Makgothi Thobakgale’s well wishes to all DCS athletes who will be participating in the ultimate human race.

Speaking on the sidelines, Director: Employee Wellness, Sandile Mthembu said he was happy to be part of the 97th Comrades Marathon edition. “We are excited that as DCS, we are at the Comrades Marathon yet again with 271 runners. We wish to extend a special appreciation to our partners, Athletic South Africa, for their support. Through our participation as DCS, we are advancing our wellness agenda. The type of environment we work in requires us to be fit,” said Mthembu.

This year’s edition is the 49th up-run since the start of Comrades Marathon and is considered the most difficult.

President of Athletics in DCS, Motsamai Maqoawane wished DCS runners well in this year’s race. “We are grateful to be at this official opening of the Comrades Marathon. We have also realised that working hand-in-hand with Comrades is advancing our departmental cause for a fit and healthy workforce. We are also indebted to our choir from Durban Correctional Facility for being available to support us at this official opening. With this type of support, we will go far,” he said.

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) Senior Management convened for the 2023/24 fourth quarter National Management Performance Review Session on Friday, 24 May 2024.

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) Senior Management convened for the 2023/24 fourth quarter and annual National Management Performance Review Session on Friday, 24 May 2024.

The virtual session afforded all the regions and branches a platform to table their presentations highlighting areas of underachievement as well as areas on which they met the performance standards as per set targets. Additionally, the re-view session allowed Management to evaluate progress for the financial year and offer input on areas that require improvement in 2024/25. By instituting quarterly performance review sessions, DCS ensures that officials are carrying out their responsibilities and contributing positively to the department’s overall outcomes.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Strategic Management, Anbigay Naicker, kicked-off the virtual session by providing a broad outline of performance during the financial year covering a number of factors encompassing targets achieved, not achieved, Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) performance, performance per programme, analysis of root causes, to mention a few.

The Department achieved 35 out of 41 annual targets for the 2023/24 financial year, which translates to 85% performance. DCS annual performance dropped by only 2% com-pared to the 2022/23 financial year. Three Programmes: Care, Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration achieved 100% of their annual targets. These programmes have achieved this commendable feat for three years in succession. Incarceration achieved 86%, with Administration trailing further behind with 50% performance achievement.

The regional outlook of the annual performance saw the Western Cape emerging as the best performing region with a phenomenal 97% achievement, followed by KwaZulu-Natal and Free State and Northern Cape with 94% each. The Eastern Cape (93%), Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West (90%) and Gauteng (81%) also performed exceptionally well.

As part of his presentation of the Financial Report, acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Lebogang Marumule indicated that one prevalent factor that caused some regions and branches to fall short of their goals is the inadequate funding due to cost-containment measures. “We should come up with mechanisms to reach targets without major financial implications even as we continue to implement cost containment measures,” stated acting CFO Marumule.

In an attempt to close the margin at SMS level in so far as gender representation is concerned, the acting Chief Deputy Commissioner, Human Resources, Linda Bond mentioned that the Department must recruit and appoint more female managers to comply with Employment Equity (EE) targets. The Department recorded a performance of 47% (70/150) females and 53% (80/150) males against a target of 50% at the end of the 2023/24 financial year.

“Greater effort is required to ensure the appointment and promotion of females into SMS level,” said acting CDC Bond. Some of the key targets that most regions did not achieve on include:

• Overcrowding in correctional facilities;
• Infrastructure projects completed;
• Unnatural deaths in correctional facilities;
• Grade 12 pass rate per academic year; and
• Offenders, parolees, and probationers participating in the Restorative Justice Programme

In the absence of National Commissioner (NC), Makgothi Thobakgale, Chief Deputy Commissioner (CDC) for Community Corrections, Phiko Mbambo facilitated the session. He applauded the regions and branches on their excellent work and encouraged managers to go back to the drawing board to address areas that require improvement.

The African Union (AU) has started integrating traditional leaders in drug dependency prevention, treatment and care to widen the reach of community interventions to address the growing burden of substance use and related mental health disorders on the continent.

These interventions range from prevention to detection, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration. The Department of Correctional Services (DCS), together with the South African Development Community (SADC) member states, National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, Departments of Health, Social Development, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and other stakeholders gathered in Sandton Protea Hotel from 8 April 2024, for the SADC Traditional Leadership Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) consultation.

The four-day session, which concludes on Thursday, 11 April 2024, aims to comprehend and find solutions for the rising drug trafficking in the SADC region. A pilot national network of traditional leaders on Drug Demand Reduction was initiated in South Africa in 2022 during a meeting organized by the African Union Commission in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The
meeting was aimed at affirming the role of traditional leaders as first line responders in addressing the challenge of drugs at community level.

Delegates from Lesotho, Botswana, Angola, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Seychelles, Mozambique, Tanzania and Mauritius presented drug challenges in areas under the jurisdictions of Traditional Leaders. Their presentations revealed a correlation between the challenge of drugs and high unemployment rate, curiosity and experimentation, peer pressure, poverty, ill-discipline, adolescent stage, prescription drugs and trauma. According to the Pan African Epidemiology Networks on Drugs Use, 40% increase in drug consumption is expected in Africa by 2030. Mostly used common drugs in Southern Africa include heroin, alcohol, cocaine, nyaope, khat, cannabis, ecstacy, mandrax, ATS, tramadol, inhalants, codeine, benzhexol, OTC, ATS, bluemash, and benzhexol.

Addressing the delegates from the 16 countries and a number of stakeholders, the Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa outlined measures put in place by DCS to tackle illicit drugs, substance abuse and health is- sues associated with utilization of drugs, focusing on prevention and treatment as some of the offenders incarcerated in Correctional Facilities suffer from addiction.

“We have developed a bespoke Substance Abuse Programme (SAP) which seeks to help offenders, probationers and parolees who are addicted to Illicit drugs and substance abuse as a foundation of their rehabilitation. This programme is delivered by DCS social workers and other partners such as the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug dependence (SANCA), Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre (CTDCC), Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alma Mater Akademie in Substance Abuse,” said Deputy Minister Holomisa. Prince Zolile Burns-Ncamashe, Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs added that “Traditional Leaders remain the custodians of culture, customs and discipline in many parts of the African continent. The battle against this pandemic needs a collective approach which foster inter-governmental organisations, and public-private sector partnerships.”

Chairperson of South African National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, Kgosi Thabo Seatlholo said the problem of drugs and substance abuse is not only mainly experienced in cities as they were historically. “Young people in traditional communities are falling prey to drug addiction and these places a burden on rural communities. We need to join hands together to eradicate the problem of drug abuse,” concluded Kgosi Seatlholo

The Department of Correctional Services hosted the Minister of Justice from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ms Rose Mutombo Kiese from 03 to 04 April 2024.

The aim of the visit was to draw best practices on how South Africa is running its correctional system. The Boksburg Management Area and Mangaung Correctional Centre formed part of the sites visited by the Minister and her delegation.

The DRC is a fellow member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and South Africa (SA) is strongly committed to supporting the country’s long-term stability. SA views peace and stability in the DRC as a critical component for overall stability in the Great Lakes Region. Thus, as and when opportunities arise, this country is more than ready and willing to impart best practices on a number of thematic areas of development, growth, peace and security.

On behalf of the Department, acting Deputy Regional Commissioner of the Free State and Northern Cape region, Jacky Reid, welcomed the Democratic Republic of Congo for having considered DCS for a benchmarking visit. “Your visit is a vote of confidence in us as a country and our efficacy in running our correctional centres. Be that as it may, we are also going to learn from you as much as you are going to learn from us,” she said.

As part of the visit, Minister Kiese was taken through formal presentations wherein vital information on the overview and operations of both centres was shared, including the population and profiles of offenders, their countries of origin, categories of offences and age groups. The presentations also spoke about some of the services provided to inmates including health and psychological services, community projects as well as edu cation and training, to name a few.

The visit culminated in an all-encompassing tour of the two facilities through which Minister Kiese was exposed to different Self-Sufficiency and Sustainable Framework (SSSF) projects. Some of the projects visited in Boksburg include the bakery and production workshops, whilst the school, vegetable gardens, textile and candle making factories, the hospital, library and one of the units housing offenders, were visited in Mangaung.

Minister Kiese and her entourage expressed gratitude to DCS for the warm welcome and great hospitality. She commended South Africa in how its correctional facilities are run and appreciated the responses received from DCS officials addressing the pertinent questions that were asked by her delegation, which she believes will assist them back in DRC to better manage their facilities.

“South Africa is really doing a lot and there is so many areas of advancement one has amassed so much knowledge and insight on. This was such a fruitful visit for its results shall be beneficial to my native country. One is really drawing so much benefits from the mutual relations both our countries enjoy,” concluded Minister Kiese.

Correctional Services National Commissioner, Makgothi Thobakgale officially pinned insignia on the newly appointed Regional Commissioner (RC) of the Eastern Cape Region, Lucky Mthethwa, on 02 April 2024.

During his operational visit to Middledrift Correctional Centre, Amathole Management Area, National Commissioner Thobakgale urged the officials to support the newly appointed Regional Commissioner.  “I request that you give RC Mthethwa all the necessary support and work well with him.  We are a big organisation and we have other responsibilities that still need the leadership of his calibre.  If we are to build the South Africa and the Eastern Cape that we want, then there are some notions that we need to dispel.  We need to see each other as one people that belong to the same country,” remarked National Commissioner Thobakgale.

RC Mthethwa started his career in the Department of Correctional Services in 1986 as a Correctional Officer at Glencoe Correctional Centre, KwaZulu-Natal Region.  He has worked his way up the ranks of the department.
His positions in the department include the following:

• Junior Instructor at Zonderwater Training College
• Head of Leeuwkop Medium B Centre (Juvenile)
• Acting Head: Human Resources:  Leeuwkop Management Area
• Head of Emthonjeni Youth Centre
• APOPS Controller:  Head Office
• Director Corrections Administration:  Head Office
• Acting Deputy Commissioner:  Personal   Corrections at Head Office
• Area Commissioner of Durban Management Area
• Deputy Regional Commissioner:  Kwa-Zulu Natal Region
• Chief Security Officer:  Head Office

He also has vast experience working with various organisations such as the South African Custodial Management as the Chief of Security and Deputy Prison Director as well as lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology.

RC Mthethwa holds the following qualifications and certificates:

• Master in Public Administration from the University of Pretoria
• Bachelor of Arts Degree from Vista University
• Leadership Development
• Management Services
• Junior Instructor’s Certificate
• Labour Relations
• Leadership Development
• Public Management and Industrial Relations

He is self-disciplined, with strong organizational abilities, excellent and proven general management and project management skills.  He is staunch advocate for developing officials under his supervision, a good leader and a great team player.  RC Mthethwa is passionate about service excellence which derives from his passion to deliver service delivery in line with the mandate of the DCS.