{"id":10569,"date":"2026-01-07T08:37:32","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T08:37:32","guid":{"rendered":"\/?page_id=10569"},"modified":"2026-01-07T08:37:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T08:37:33","slug":"minister-groenewald-bids-farewell-to-inspecting-judge-edwin-cameron-hailing-him-as-a-champion-for-human-rights","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"\/?page_id=10569","title":{"rendered":"Minister Groenewald Bids Farewell to Inspecting Judge Edwin Cameron, Hailing him as a Champion for Human Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Pieter Groenewald, led a heartfelt farewell ceremony for the Inspecting Judge of Correctional Services, Justice Edwin Cameron, at the Kgo\u0161i Mampuru II Correctional Facility on Wednesday, 03 December 2025. Colleagues and members of the judiciary gathered to honour Judge Cameron, who will officially retire from the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) on 31 December. Inspecting Judge Cameron’s 5-year tenure started in January 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The atmosphere was one of deep respect and gratitude, with Deputy Chief Justice Dunstan Mlambo and Justice Jody Kollapen among those celebrating the legacy of an exceptional leader and steadfast advocate for justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his address, Minister Groenewald struck a bittersweet tone, expressing honour at being part of the event while lamenting the departure of a true champion for the department and for human rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is an honour for me to be invited to this function. It is a joyful event, but there is also a sad side to it because we are losing,\u201d said Minister Groenewald. \u201cNormally, the majority of people look forward to the date when they will go on retirement, but when it comes to Judge Cameron, it\u2019s different.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Minister praised Judge Cameron\u2019s exemplary conduct and impactful tenure. \u201cI came to know of Justice Cameron through the media, and from what I have learned here, you are known for the right reasons. When it comes to human rights, you are a champion because you strongly believe in that,\u201d Minister Groenewald stated. \u201cI want to thank you because you set a good example. I have come to know you as someone who listens attentively and gives sound counsel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlighting a key initiative, the Minister pointed to Judge Cameron\u2019s instrumental role in establishing a bail fund. \u201cHe started the bail fund \u2013 very important because we have about 3,000 remand detainees in our facilities who cannot afford a bail of R1000 or less,\u201d Dr Groenewald explained. \u201cThe initiative was taken by Judge Cameron to say, let\u2019s start the bail fund, not using taxpayers’ money. Let\u2019s get the private sector involved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister Groenewald concluded with a heartfelt tribute and a call for continued service. \u201cI thank you, not only on behalf of Correctional Services, but I also thank you on behalf of the communities and the people of South Africa for the good work you did, and you are still going to continue to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his own remarks, Justice Edwin Cameron expressed profound gratitude to the JICS team. \u201cThe debt I owe to all JICS employees is absolutely enormous; they are the hardest workers,\u201d he said. He underscored the critical role of the Independent Correctional Centre Visitors (ICCVs), who provide vital reports on conditions within correctional facilities, from hunger strikes to overcrowding. \u201cWe know that the overcrowding problem is tragically chronic and overwhelming, but the regional managers work so closely with the ICCVs,\u201d he noted, detailing the structured reporting chain to management and Parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on his time at JICS, Justice Cameron spoke of both joy and challenge. \u201cWe have had fun, passionate exchanges, and disruptive arguments, but the colleagues have lodged themselves deeply in my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceremony served as a powerful acknowledgement of Justice Cameron\u2019s transformative work, emphasising his unwavering commitment to human rights, correctional services reform, and the dignity of all individuals within the correctional system. His legacy, particularly through initiatives like the bail fund and the rigorous inspection regime, sets a formidable standard for future guardians of justice and correctional oversight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Pieter Groenewald, led a heartfelt farewell ceremony for the Inspecting Judge of Correctional Services, Justice Edwin Cameron, at the Kgo\u0161i Mampuru II Correctional Facility on Wednesday, 03 December 2025. Colleagues and members of the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2851,"featured_media":10571,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10569"}],"collection":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2851"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10569"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10569\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10572,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10569\/revisions\/10572"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}