Ekuseni, Tuesday, 19 November 1996
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and gentlemen
It is a great honour for me to be here today, to see - in this development of Ekuseni - the realisation of a vision that was born in me during my own years of confinement.
Prisons, as they have existed and still exist in our country are not conducive to the rehabilitation of the prisoners. Recent government reports have confirmed the problems of overcrowding, inhumane living conditions and staff shortages - all of which work against rehabilitation and contribute to a recidivism rate which some claim is as high as 94%. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Young People at Risk has also drawn attention to the problem extant in so-called "places of safety" where young criminals or those awaiting trial are often held.
The devastating effects of the system of Apartheid were dealt most harshly to young convicted persons. For these are the ones who were denied their basic human rights like the rest of the majority but were further denied the opportunity to empower themselves, to learn skills, to be reintegrated into society. Instead they were doomed to remain criminals all their lives for lack of opportunity.
At Ekuseni we are starting to break this mould, revolutionising the way in which our society historically has treated young prisoners. With access to education, vocational training aligned to the world of work and an environment that will nurture the individual's self-worth, these young prisoners are offered the chance to re-enter society on a new track - to play a constructive and responsible role as individuals in their communities.
Ekuseni presents us with a new model - not only in what it sets out to do, but
also in the way it has and will be done.
When we launched this initiative in October last year, we set in motion a process of consultation and cooperation amongst diverse parties - each of whom has brought its own perspective and respective strengths to this joint venture. And in the process of cutting a new path, of creating a new model, each has learned from the others, contributing to the greater good of all.
The partnership responsible for the development of Ekuseni involves five major players who I must pay tribute to for each of their unique and requisite roles.
The Private Sector Initiative, a consortium of 20 leading South African companies who together, have contributed close to 44 million Rand to enable the development of Ekuseni. They continue to lead the way.
The Joint Education Trust, a partnership, born of the PSI and its alliance with community organisations which are broadly representative of civil society.
JET was identified as the right organisation to compose the educational and vocational curricula for Ekuseni. JET has also been responsible for the financial and administrative control of all project funds.
A third partner is Rand Afrikaans University, who have designed the development programmes and the management model for Ekuseni.
The Minister of Correctional Services - Dr Sipho Mzimela and his department have guided the development of all elements in this project.
Lastly it was the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund - as the patron of the project - that inspired and has sustained the vision for Ekuseni.
The Board of Management of Ekuseni, representing these diverse parties - with different points of view but sharing a common goal - exemplifies the kind of inclusive alliance that enables us to harness resources from all sectors of society to build our new country.
There are a number of other players who have made significant contributions to Ekuseni. Project and construction managers, AMDEV, have seen a fast track building programme through to completion. Murray and Roberts has provided classrooms. Unisys South Africa has donated computer equipment, software and services. Microsoft has contributed software, training and support.
The partnership will continue to manage the project for a period of two years to ensure that the ideals of the vision are attained. Specifically, JET and RAU will monitor and evaluate the programmes and report back to the Management Committee This is a critical aspect of the project. Evaluations provide management with a tool to assess the effectiveness of the programmes, to implement modifications and to refine this pilot into a successful model, which results in much lower rates of recidivism amongst young offenders and equips them to re-enter society and find productive work. The Ekuseni model can then be replicated in similar centres around the country.
Indeed, Ekuseni presents a model for us all. Nation building is an evolutionary process in which a nation develops pride in its identity and faith in its future as a nation. Through sharing the responsibility of this project these partners are actively participating in the building of that nation.
In cutting new paths to our future we create our future anew and we ourselves are recreated, as is our country.
I thank you.