{"id":11033,"date":"2026-06-18T07:55:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T07:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"\/?page_id=11033"},"modified":"2026-06-18T07:55:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T07:55:29","slug":"national-commissioner-thobakgale-commends-dcs-for-trebling-sales-at-comrades-marathon-expo-2026","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"\/?page_id=11033","title":{"rendered":"National Commissioner Thobakgale Commends DCS for Trebling Sales at Comrades Marathon Expo 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"11034\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1234-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11034\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1234-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1234-300x200.jpg 300w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1234-768x512.jpg 768w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1234-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1234-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1234-400x267.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) achieved a remarkable milestone at the 2026 Comrades Marathon Expo, recording a threefold increase in sales compared to previous years. The expo took place from 11 to 13 June 2026 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>DCS National Commissioner (NC), Mr Makgothi Thobakgale, commended the achievement, describing it as a testament to the department&#8217;s growing presence and impact at one of the world&#8217;s most prestigious ultramarathons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NC Thobakgale emphasised that the success was not only financial but also symbolic of the unity and discipline that correctional officials and inmates bring to the rehabilitation journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This significant improvement demonstrates that the products on display are of high quality and appeal to running enthusiasts and the broader public. Year-after-year, we strive to improve. This year, our sales multiplied even before the official closure of the exhibitions,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery alignleft has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"11036\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2345-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11036\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2345-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2345-1-300x200.jpg 300w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2345-1-768x512.jpg 768w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2345-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2345-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2345-1-400x267.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>He further highlighted that the achievement came from collaboration across various units within the department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We brought together directorates responsible for sports and arts, wellness, rehabilitation, and community corrections to present a unified DCS stall,&#8221; he remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The NC added that the stall was user-friendly and offered buyers the convenience of both cash and card payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;As this is an international expo, we welcome all currencies. We had clients from the USA purchasing in dollars, as well as international runners from China, India, Portugal, and Russia. Offender-produced items have proven attractive to the global running community, as well as to athletes from across the continent, including Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Botswana, and Namibia,&#8221; he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the most popular items were African clothing and cultural products, many of which sold out due to high demand. The handmade products showcased at the stall included portraits, bags, traditional attire, leatherwork, beadwork, artefacts, and cultural accessories \u2013 all produced by offenders as part of rehabilitation programmes aimed at fostering skills and self-sufficiency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) achieved a remarkable milestone at the 2026 Comrades Marathon Expo, recording a threefold increase in sales compared to previous years. The expo took place from 11 to 13 June 2026 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. DCS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2851,"featured_media":11034,"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\/11033"}],"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=11033"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11033\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11041,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11033\/revisions\/11041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}