WALVIS BAY – The Minister of Safety and Security Immanuel Ngatjizeko says prisons are still considered as tools of oppression as per historic label brought about by the colonial authorities.
He says SADC takes cognizance of the effects of the colonial era, which have left the correctional and prison systems in a shambles both in terms of structural design and the public’s image.
Therefore, he says, those leading such organisations and involved in the rehabilitation of offenders should address and reverse this sort of perception by educating and incorporating best practices from each other.
Ngatjizeko was addressing prison and correctional services heads from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe during the opening of the two-day meeting of the African Correctional Services Association (ACSA), Southern Regional Heads of Corrections at Walvis Bay yesterday.
The two-day meeting is taking place for the first time and is to discuss issues such as mobilising of regional resources, discussing challenges experienced in the region as well as sports and cultural exchanges.
Applauding the initiative, Ngatjizeko said SADC needs committed and dedicated leaders in the field of corrections and prison services to change the mindset of those who are under the impression that prisons are tools of oppression, as well as to forge good effective and lasting relations among SADC countries.
“These forums are important as they present us with the opportunity to forge good relations that unite in countering mutual security-related challenges facing our criminal justice system,” he stated.
“We particularly take note of the effect and therefore there is a need to invest much in training and development of staff, while simultaneously ensuring their job satisfaction and objectively addressing their grievances,” he said.
He also noted that while the main objective is to rehabilitate offenders the key is to have competent staff to achieve that objective as distressed correctional and prison officers cannot rehabilitate offenders.
Punitive principles of treating inmates in facilities are today limited only to those who do not understand the adverse impact this approach has on society after inmates are released.
“As correctional administrators we know very well the importance of human rights and effective rehabilitation of inmates who come and go through our facilities. We are very aware of the fact that correctional administration which serves as the final stage in the criminal justice system is directly related to the success or failure of the justice system, therefore we must make sure that we record more success rather than failures,” Ngatjizeko emphasised.
Also speaking at the same occasion the Commissioner-General of the Namibia Correctional Services, Tuhafeni Hamunyela, who was elected as the regional vice-chairperson of the southern region, said Namibia is ready to play its role as a stage for discussions for correctional administrators to solve current issues in the correctional field and to enhance productive relations.
“These relations will enable us to share best practices and assist each other to tackle challenges facing our organisations in the region,” said