Ex-prisoners urged to test government’s promise
ALEXANDRA - Ex prisoners have been urged to test the government on its commitment to offer them employment opportunities.
Ex-prisoners have been urged to test the government on its commitment to offer them employment opportunities.
This was said at Thusong Youth Centre by officials of the Department of Community Safety and the Department of Justice and Correctional Services at a meeting with former offenders, some of whom are on parole.
Motibe Mohomane of Community Safety said their oversight role on law enforcement included crime prevention by giving ex-prisoners the skills to help them get government-offered jobs and to reintegrate them into society.
“The onus, though, is on the ex-prisoners to participate in programmes on rehabilitation and skills training while still in prison to ease this process. When they are released they should test government on its offer for jobs,” Mohomane said.
His colleague, Khomotso Mokhopo, urged the ex-prisoners not to succumb to temptations that would make them re-offend. “Government will give you a second chance provided you exploited the prison skills training opportunities that would enable you to be gainfully employed as carpenters, welders, electricians, builders, plumbers and motor mechanics.”
He encouraged them to form themselves into co-operatives, which was government’s preferred method of giving jobs as part of its focus to boost small enterprises.
Ramogolo Kau of Correctional Services expressed concern at some ex-prisoners’ disinterest and selectiveness when looking for jobs, which led them to resorting to crime when they failed to get what they wanted. He said the department would expand its training programmes to include other skills such as those required in the entertainment sector.
The centre’s director, Beauty More, who runs a parolee programme linked to various goverment departments, commended the engagement with ex-prisoners and urged for regular meetings to help motivate them and give them coping strategies to ease their reintegration into society.
Details: Thusong Youth Centre 078 514 4845.
