The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services visited Drakenstein Correctional Centre in Paarl, Western Cape, ahead of the official opening of the Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy. President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to inaugurate the academy on Thursday.
The visit coincides with the 36th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. Drakenstein, formerly known as Victor Verster Prison, was where Mandela spent his final years in incarceration before becoming South Africa’s first democratically elected president.
President Ramaphosa was joined by Minister of Correctional Services Dr Pieter Groenewald and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie during the visit.
The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund emphasized the importance of linking the commemoration to present-day action. Established by Mandela in 1995, the Fund was created to support vulnerable children, families, and communities.
Samke Mnguni of the Fund highlighted Mandela’s inspiration for its creation: “We now know that while taking a walk in Cape Town, Nelson Mandela saw street children without care on a winter’s night. He decided these children needed support and, as he would, called on others to raise funds for the formation of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, contributing from his own salary as well.”
The training academy aims to strengthen correctional services while honoring Mandela’s legacy of compassion, social responsibility, and commitment to justice.