Pretoria – The new recruits in the ranks of the Department of Correctional Services have been warned to be ethical, upright, resilient and hard workers when carrying out their duties.
Justice and Correctional Services Deputy Minister Thabang Makwetla on Tuesday addressed over 450 trainees at the Zonderwater Training College for Correctional Services near Cullinan in Pretoria.
“We expect a calibre of officials that understands the Constitution, our legislation, international conventions and protocols and conduct themselves in a manner that resembles a real professional and developmental civil service,” said the Deputy Minister.
The trainees are part of over 3 000 recruits announced by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha during his budget vote speech earlier this year. They are currently completing their basic training at Zonderwater and Kroonstad Training Colleges of Correctional Services.
The trainees mostly come from KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West provinces. Correctional Services will recruit a further 2 064 members in the 2016/17 financial year, with over R50 million set aside to create jobs for unemployed youth while also helping to build a pool of critical and energetic young officials.
Deputy Minister Makwetla urged the trainees to cherish the opportunities they have, which are a product of the sacrifices made by the youth of 1976 and those created by the democratic government.
The Correctional Services’ recruitment campaign has provided a lifeline to many unemployed youths, some of whom come from destitute households, with 14 from child-headed households.
One of the trainees, Bonginkosi Skhosana, said they were looking forward to graduating and wearing their uniform with pride, making a positive contribution to realise a South Africa where all people are and feel safe.
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