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31 August 2008

Programme director
Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Madam Loretta Jacobus
National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Vernie Petersen
Distinguished guests and partners
Members of the Executive Management Committee and other managers
Correctional Officials
Ladies and gentlemen

After considering the theme of the conference as "Innovation Unlimited – Thinking out of the Box" as well as what I have personally witnessed, I once again greatly appreciated the evolution of this Department since the advent of democracy and particularly over the last few years.

I appreciated the momentum gained by this institution in its endeavours to transform itself into a correctional system that all South Africans could be more proud of, instead of a dumping site for what society despises. I believe that in our own way we have made a contribution to our advance as a nation towards a better life for all and I am confident that we will not rest on our laurels to celebrate yester achievements, while challenges remain huge and very daunting.

When we struggled for freedom and democracy in order to be key determinants in the creation of a democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and a prosperous nation, all our endeavours were on the principle of collective human solidarity. We sought to build a new society, not just a society that is better than apartheid. A society whose destiny is not driven by self righteous elites, but is based on the will of the people who themselves are the key players is shaping such a destiny. We are coming from a school of thought that says, unless the will of the people that is not just in words but indeed, development cannot be sustainable.

Indeed we have made strides over the years with the introduction of new systems aimed at improving security, performance management, enhancing greater interface with society and efforts to build a new crop of correctional officials in thinking and attitude. A combination of these interventions enhanced rehabilitation, reduced escapes substantially while mainstreaming of corrections in the national development debate.

President Thabo Mbeki articulated the challenge of this period in our society when he said:

"All of us should turn our backs on routine. It means that we must repudiate the comfort zones that have encouraged us, literally to rest on our laurels, arising from the fact that we have seen and can quantify the positive results of our work during the short years of liberation. We must, once again, reposition ourselves as innovators, who dare to challenge the proven truths that our successful practice, to date, has established as proven truths."

I want to describe all what has been achieved to date as the new beginnings of a long journey of decades of a new struggle, a struggle for a better life for all people of South Africa. The initiative to organise this ground breaking conference, tells me that we have the embryo of the new crop of correctional officials envisaged in the White Paper on Corrections. Those that will not rest of their laurels to celebrate good old days while loathing to lift a finger to help our nation and our Department to realise the new vision.

I strongly believe that through organising this conference to build a platform for greater sharing of innovative ideas and projects, you have demonstrated that seeds are geminating towards a correctional system that sees itself as inseparably linked with the society it serves. A correctional system that cries with babies that go to bed hungry and without hope of where the next meal will come from, that share the pain of those without a shelter over their heads, especially during very hard times, that appreciates that the millennium development targets to deal with poverty are central delivery of corrections and rehabilitation programmes, and a correctional system that knows that our broader national ideals will not materialise through miracles without lifting a finger.

Our continued evolution as the Department must be defined firmly within broader national deliberations aimed at self rediscovery, debates aimed at continuously defining the kind of society we want to build as South Africans.

The foundation of this democratic government, as outlined in the Constitution and various pieces of legislation and policies, is to build a society with entrenched "moral values and human compassion and solidarity" (ANC Strategy and Tactics – Dec 2007). Through this conference, you have demonstrated your depth of understanding these ideals.

I therefore wish to appeal to all those helping to shape various construct or labels about Correctional Officials to know that an overwhelming majority of these officials are good citizens who share a passion for a better, secured and ethical system of corrections. We have embarked on a programme of identifying these, bring them to the fore, and call on everyone of you to join in celebrating. It is critical to do that because we must build a critical mass of likeminded correctional officials who will not look the other way when atrocities against humanity are perpetrated, when hunger and poverty ravages our communities, when corruption continue to rear its ugly head in our facilities, and when overcrowding continues to thwart rehabilitation and human development efforts of this Department.

These unsung heroes and heroines embody the emergence of an ideal correctional system. I am sure being part of this historic occasion will inspire many of you to emerge from the madding crowds of mediocre performers, in order to be counted as what Tat' Mandela called extra-ordinary South Africans.

As Tat' Mandela had ably stated in his book, after reaching the mountain top and freeing our nation, we have come to realise that there are many more mountains to climb and valley to cross before reaching our destination.

With the identification of these examples of great innovations in the Department, I am sure even those unable to see beyond the mammoth of overcrowding, deaths and rapes in facilities, increasing levels of violent offenders incarcerates in our centres, will regain their faith that through chipping off small chunks, we will ultimately see and realise our goals.

I will request the National Commissioner to establish an Innovation Board of Correctional Services that will help provide leadership to this campaign whose time has arrived – Ke Nako. We must create an environment that nourishes innovation and fully recognises these steps as an integral part of building a new culture of looking beyond the constraints and problems. The Board will serve as a catalyst, but the key to our success is held by local leadership and management in correctional centres, where the difference must be made with direct impact on communities, offenders and on how the Department manages service delivery.

In few minutes time, I will be demonstrating that Correctional Services is by no means a small player in the technological advancement and innovation with a potential for fundamentally changing the way we do the business of corrections and rehabilitation.

I will be launching an Innovation Portal of Correctional Services when you have been appropriately briefed. We are at an advanced stage as well to establish a National Contact Centre.

Please do not be misled to think that innovation is only about technology. I appeal to you to listen carefully at those instances to be presented at the conference and also to tour our exhibitions for more innovation.

Join us in celebrating our efforts to throw away the box because it is too limiting for innovation. We must flaunt the ideas and various innovations. We are a force to be reckoned with.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
31 July 2008
Source: Department of Correctional Services (http://www.dcs.gov.za/)