TSHWANE SPEAKER LEADS BOYS DIALOGUE AT ZONDERWATER TO STEER LEARNERS AWAY FROM CRIME

By Mzwandile Khathi
Media Relations Specialist

The Office of the Speaker, in partnership with the Zonderwater Correctional Services in Cullinan, hosted a Boys Dialogue programme involving learners from Zithobeni Secondary School.

The initiative, led by the Speaker of Council, Cllr Mncedi Ndzwanana, aimed to discourage young people from romanticising crime while encouraging informed decision-making, positive life choices, and responsible citizenship.

The programme forms part of the Office
of the Speaker’s ongoing efforts to contribute towards safer communities through youth development and awareness initiatives.

During the engagement, learners participated in a candid dialogue with serving inmates, who shared personal accounts of how poor decisions led to their incarceration.

The inmates spoke openly about the consequences of crime, highlighting factors such as peer pressure, negative influences, substance abuse, and disrespect for authority figures as some of the causes that contributed to their imprisonment.

Through the Boys Dialogue programme, the Office of the Speaker seeks to bridge the gap between youthful idealism and the harsh realities of criminal behaviour by using real-life experiences to guide young boys towards making constructive and responsible choices.

Addressing the learners, Cllr Ndzwanana emphasised the importance of making sound
decisions from an early age.

“The decisions you make today as young people will determine your future. We are hosting this programme to help you make the right choices because we care about your future and your wellbeing,” said Cllr Ndzwanana.

The Speaker also expressed appreciation to the inmates for their willingness to engage
with the learners and share their experiences in an effort to prevent others from following a similar path.

“Your interaction with these young boys today is contributing to the future of this country by helping to change mindsets.

We hope this programme will assist in reducing the number of young people who ultimately end up behind bars,” he added.

The programme was well received by the 40 learners from Zithobeni Secondary School,
who expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate.

As part of the experience, the learners were also taken on a guided tour of the correctional facility, where they witnessed
first-hand the conditions under which inmates live.

According to Mashudu Mutamba,Communications Manager at Zonderwater Correctional Services, the prison visit reflects the objectives of the partnership between the Office of the Speaker and the correctional facility.

“The learners’ visit to the correctional facility remains a powerful crime prevention and awareness tool because it exposes them to the realities of incarceration,” said Mutamba.

“Through offender dialogue, learners are encouraged to become law-abiding citizens and remain focused on their studies in order to build successful futures for themselves.”

Mutamba further noted that such partnerships also play an important role in supporting the social reintegration of ex-offenders and reducing the likelihood of re-offending after release.

By placing young people at the centre of crime prevention initiatives, the Office of the Speaker and Zonderwater Correctional Services continue to demonstrate the value of collaborative efforts in building safer communities and protecting the future of the youth.