Re-incorporating ex-offenders into the community is the responsibility of any society. This was one of the remarks made by the acting area commissioner of the Thohoyandou Management Area, Ms Anida Moeketsi. She was addressing members of the community during a ceremony to re-incorporate ex-offenders that was held at Sekgosese community hall.

Moeketsi said that the reintegration of ex-offenders would not be successful if members of the community were not involved. "Since offenders are from the community, they have to be reintegrated into their communities after serving their sentences. The community therefore has an important role to play in this process," she said.

She added that the Department of Correctional Services could not succeed in its quest for rehabilitation if members of the community were not involved. Moeketsi added that she would like a situation where ex-offenders were monitored by the community.

Moeketsi, who controls both the Makhado and Thohoyandou correctional centres, said that her departmental officials visited the ex-offenders at their homes to check on their behaviour at all times. She added: "If the offenders are not behaving themselves, we must be notified, so that we can take that offender back to prison."

"You are because I am and I am because because you are" was the theme of the event. Members of the community, which included traditional leaders, flocked in numbers to form part of this historic event. A traditional leader, Chief Issac Nkanyani of Tiyani, said offenders made mistakes, underwent corrective rehabilitation and were brought back to the communities. "We therefore welcome them back with open arms," he said. He urged members of the community to treat them with respect and dignity.

Ex-offenders were afforded an opportunity to raise some of the challenges facing them in the communities. An ex-offender, Mr Kilton Maelula, said that as ex-offenders they faced many challenges as members of the community do not accept them back into their lives. "They call us names, such as criminals, murderers ... We are discriminated against, even though the constitution is very clear in terms of fundamental human rights. Unfair discrimination to repentant offenders must come to an end," pleaded Maelula.

The 36-year-old Maelula, who managed to complete his three-year diploma in ABET and a three-year diploma in Civil Law Administration through UNISA while in prison, said that the government and private institutions also discriminated against them by denying them job opportunities. Maelula is currently studying towards an LLB degree through UNISA.