“Female offenders must celebrate womanhood and motherhood” - Netshishivhe

“Being behind bars does not mean that you are dead. It means that you have the chance to be corrected and become a better person. " Those were the words of the Thulamela Municipality's Cllr Salphina Mulaudzi during the celebration of women’s month in the Thohoyandou Female and Juvenile Centre. The event was attended by Mulaudzi, delegates from the Phiriphiri parliamentary constituency office at Tshidimmbini and other stakeholders.

The head of the female and juvenile centre, Ms Joyce Rambuda, said that it was important for the female inmates to celebrate womanhood and motherhood. “We need to support the offenders, so that when they are released, they can use the skills they got while they were in prison,” Rambuda said. She added that different rehabilitation programmes, such as needlework and hairdressing as well as manufacturing of sanitary towels, were being offered to female offenders.

Ms Anna Netshishivhe of Phiriphiri's paliamentary constituency office said that it was important to celebrate Women’s Day with female offenders, so that they could see that the community still cared for them, even though they had committed crimes. “It is good to know that offenders are given the opportunity to further their studies while in prison,” she said.

The guests had the opportunity to visit the laundry and textile workshop where offenders were being kept busy knitting clothes for offenders.

One of the female offenders stated that it is good for them to celebrate women’s month "as it shows us that we are still alive. I feel very happy about celebrating Women’s Day.” She added that women needed to stand up and work for themselves. “We are living in a free country which is also full of opportunities.”

Rambuda urged the community to welcome back the offenders when they get released from prison. “We know they committed crimes, but we urge the community to forgive and accept them when they are released,” she said.

News - Date: 27 August 2015

Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

Email: [email protected]