As part of the rehabilitation process through education, inmates at Thohoyandou Correctional Centre in Limpopo received more than 300 units of magazines from a well-known Limpopo television personality on Friday.

Masetha Serakoana, a Tsonga news presenter on SABC 2, said she decided to present the magazines to the prisoners because they need to get some knowledge which they would be able to use profitably when they are released into their respective societies.

This is a continuation of Masetha’s community building initiatives which she started in 2003. She has made several donations of children’s clothes, toys and sweets at Khensani and Elim Hospitals. Last year, she started collecting magazines, most of them women’s magazines, for the inmates. She has also donated books to countless indigent schools in Limpopo.

“Knowledge is the only power to change life. Who knows, maybe a star will be born in the prison after reading those books. I know some of them will be motivated and inspired and their spirits will be uplifted after reading the books. Some of the inmates cannot even afford to buy newspapers or magazines but they are thirsty for knowledge. They need community members to assist them in acquiring the knowledge which they will use for the rest of their lives. Inmates are members of the community who still need to make some contributions in the community after they come out of the prison. Many people think prisoners are outcasts, but I want to propose that, if they are rehabilitated correctly, they can help build the society from which they come. I bought most of the magazines from my pocket and collected a few from friends. I did this out of the goodness of my heart because I know I have to play a vital role in the development of my community,” said Masetha, who hails from the rural village of Bungeni, near Makhado.

Asked about the value of the magazines, Masetha said: “The important thing about the magazines is not how much they cost, but the reason for which they are donated.”

Thohoyandou Correctional Centre Area Commissioner Ananias Mbewe said Masetha’s donation is in line with Chapter 3 of the White Paper on Correctional Services which seeks to establish partnerships with the community to rehabilitate inmates.

“Rehabilitation is a societal responsibility and we need to work together to make sure that the inmates are useful when they are released back into their communities. We appreciate what Masetha has done and we hope it will be a lesson to other community members that it is important to remember the inmates who seem to be forgotten by the community out there. We know the inmates will make maximum use of the magaziness to acquire new knowledge. We are happy because Masetha is pushing through our aim of establishing partnerships with the communities for the benefit of the inmates.”