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10 March 2008

The Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Ms Loretta Jacobus MP will launch an ARV site at the correctional centre in Klerksdorp who also recently was launched as a centre of excellence. This comes as a result of extensive consultative process between the Departments of Correctional Services (DCS) and the Department of Health (DoH). In compliance with the set criteria Klerksdorp Centre of Excellence (COE) will be the only ARV site for correctional services in the North West Province.

The close-set ARV sites are in Johannesburg and Pretoria who are accredited whilst the remaining two will be considered during the course of this financial year.

As part of the programme the Deputy Minister of Correctional Services , Ms Loretta Jacobus will deliver a key note address and unveil the plagues that showcase the name of the healthcare facility and the Parole Board Offices.

The details are as follows:

Date: Tuesday, 17 March 2008
Time: 10h00 for 10h30
Venue: Klerksdorp Centre of Excellence

Through partnership with the Department of Health, two lay counsellors are currently working at the Klerksdorp ARV site. One since April 2007 and the other one since last year, this lay counsellors had been providing wellness programmes to sixty offenders per week. Other notable achievements include the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Klerksdorp Management Area and Tsepong Clinic (health service provider) to support the HIV and tuberculosis (TB) programmes within Klerksdorp Management Area and its correctional centres.

The name of the healthcare facility was suggested by offenders and was eventually endorsed by management and will be called Lesedi Wellness Clinic.

For further details contact:
Mrs Sarie Peens
Cell: 082 331 3556

Manelisi Wolela
Cell: 083 626 0304

Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
10 March 2008