{"id":11386,"date":"2026-09-22T07:00:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T07:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"\/?page_id=11386"},"modified":"2026-09-22T07:00:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T07:00:14","slug":"dcs-garden-competition-celebrates-officials-who-cultivate-change","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"\/?page_id=11386","title":{"rendered":"DCS Garden Competition Celebrates Officials Who Cultivate Change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) celebrated officials who have turned gardening into an expression of sustainability, discipline and creativity during the inaugural Minister\u2019s Garden Competition Prize-Giving Ceremony held at Malmesbury Correctional Facility on Monday, 21 September 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Pieter Groenewald, who initiated the competition after assuming office in July 2024, delivered the keynote address under the theme, \u201cLife is a Garden.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on the origins of the competition, Dr Groenewald recalled his first engagement with DCS officials shortly after taking office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI became Minister on 3 July 2024, and my first address to officials was in August, where I said I want to see the return of a garden competition,\u201d Dr Groenewald said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The competition recognises officials who contribute to greener living and the development of sustainable and well-maintained gardens. Each DCS region submitted three finalists in each of the two categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Category A focuses on officials\u2019 residences, while Category B recognises gardens at correctional centres, offices and training institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Groenewald described gardening as both a discipline and a therapeutic activity, particularly for officials working in the demanding correctional services environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know that officials in correctional services are under tremendous pressure. We have an overcrowding problem,\u201d he said. \u201cBy working in a garden, by using your creativity and energy, you will relax because gardening is therapeutic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further highlighted the importance of maintaining attractive and well-kept gardens at correctional facilities, describing them as an important reflection of the environment within the institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I visit one of our centres, I look at the garden. If the garden is not up to standard, I can assure you, you will find the same circumstances in the facility,\u201d he said. \u201cIf it is a decent garden, then I already know that this facility is functioning correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-Sufficiency and Skills Development<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Minister linked the garden competition to the department\u2019s broader Self-Sufficiency and Sustainability (SSS) Framework, which promotes skills development and productive activities, including agriculture, steelwork, woodwork and leatherwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said participation in agricultural activities can help offenders develop responsibility, patience and a sense of purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you have an offender who is part of the agricultural sector, he or she is creating responsibility \u2013 planting something, nurturing it, and then seeing the growth. That gives them hope for the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Groenewald also highlighted the broader economic value of self-sufficiency initiatives, saying they contribute to reducing dependence on public resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Commissioner of DCS, Mr Makgothi Thobakgale, said the competition had translated the Minister\u2019s vision into practical action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIdeas are born to produce, and the Minister gave us an idea out of his vision, and we ended up being productive,\u201d National Commissioner Thobakgale said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the competition was about more than simply planting and maintaining gardens, as it promoted sustainability, greener living, reducing the carbon footprint and hygiene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was not only about what was planted, but about the connection between the one who plants, the one who takes care of the garden, and the garden itself \u2013 a connection that needed time, dedication, care and consistency. Above all, it needed discipline,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Category A Winner: Mr Garnet Liedermann<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Garnet Liedermann of the West Coast Management Area, representing Malmesbury Correctional Centre, was the Category A winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharing his experience, Mr Liedermann said the Western Cape\u2019s soil should not be underestimated when it comes to gardening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople ask how it is possible that a garden in the Western Cape can win, because usually people perceive the ground as poor. But the ground here is very good for gardening,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is just a matter of adding fertiliser and compost, and the ground does the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the plants in his garden is spekboom, an indigenous South African plant which he described as one of his favourites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is very easy to manipulate the growth of the plant to get it into the shape you want. It also has health benefits \u2013 you can take the leaves and use them in a salad. It has a very high content of vitamin C and magnesium,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Mr Liedermann, gardening provides a deep sense of fulfilment and allows him to create a welcoming environment for his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOpening my door in the morning and the first thing I see is a beautiful garden \u2013 the Lord\u2019s work of which I am part of maintaining. It makes your house a home for your family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Category B Winner: Zonderwater Management Area<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Zonderwater Management Area emerged as the Category B winner, with Acting Area Commissioner Ms Thalita Tshehla accepting the award on behalf of the Management Area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Tshehla attributed the achievement to teamwork and the Management Area\u2019s commitment to self-sufficiency and sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGardening is not just a hobby to us \u2013 gardening is life,\u201d she said. \u201cZonderwater works as a team. Zonderwater is a Self-Sufficiency and Sustainability (SSS) management area where we complement everything that comes from the soil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her comments reflected the department\u2019s broader approach to using agricultural and gardening activities to promote productivity, sustainability and skills development across its facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultivating a Culture of Change<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his closing remarks, Dr Groenewald encouraged officials to embrace the spirit of the competition beyond the prize-giving ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCorrectional officials are like society\u2019s gardeners, planting seeds of hope, discipline and change while guiding offenders through rehabilitation,\u201d he said. \u201cEach action is a seed. We may not see the harvest, but it was planted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minister called on officials to continue nurturing their workplaces, wellness, relationships and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet us continue planting seeds of hope, nurturing transformation, and cultivating a better South Africa \u2013 one life, one person, one community, and one garden at a time,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The inaugural Minister\u2019s Garden Competition demonstrated how a simple garden can become a platform for promoting environmental responsibility, teamwork, discipline and wellbeing, while supporting DCS\u2019 broader commitment to self-sufficiency and sustainability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) celebrated officials who have turned gardening into an expression of sustainability, discipline and creativity during the inaugural Minister\u2019s Garden Competition Prize-Giving Ceremony held at Malmesbury Correctional Facility on Monday, 21 September 2026. Minister of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2851,"featured_media":11387,"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\/11386"}],"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=11386"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11390,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11386\/revisions\/11390"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}