Correctional officer with ex-convicts conducting a cleaning campaign

This came after Tonga community corrections services conducted a number of training projects for former inmates who are now out on parole. One of the projects conducted by the Tonga team includes a cleaning campaign in all government institutions.

Correctional officer, Thabo Sifundza, told this newspaper that his team normally conducts cleaning campaigns on a quarterly basis.

“We normally conduct cleaning campaigns on a quarterly basis but only to government institutions like hospitals, police stations and clinics,” said Sifundza. Apart from that he said they also help former offenders with securing interviews and employment and give them a sense of belonging to the community again.

“We try by all means to help them forget about their past life and concentrate on making a change and a better life for themselves and the communities they live in,”

he explained.He went on mentioning that his department sometimes even helps with food parcels.

“The department does all it can to help rehabilitate them and as we understand that they can’t change especially if they are hungry, we do almost anything to keep them away from ending up in jail again,” muttered Mkhwanazi.

Nkosi Simphiwe, a former inmate told this newspaper that the program has helped him in many ways.

“The officers who were tasked to monitor my parole conditions made me realize how important it was to apologize to the family I wronged in order to start a new life. That has helped me a lot because I feel like the whole community has forgiven me,” said Nkosi.