Cape Town - Mortimer Saunders and Phindile Mhlobo, who made headlines for committing gruesome crimes, were among Brandvlei Correctional Centre inmates who were celebrated at a graduation ceremony on Wednesday.
Family and friends from far and near came to support the 21 incarcerated men at the Correctional Centre’s hall where they received certificates for completing an Ubuntu Learning Short Course.
In attendance was deputy minister of Correctional Services, Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa, Western Cape Correctional Services Commissioner Delekile Klaas and SU Chancellor, Justice Edwin Cameron among others.
Brandvlei Correctional Centre is known to be an education hub, with the top 2021 matric candidate among inmates being held there.
The Ubuntu Learning initiative, is a first of its kind in South Africa. Classes take place in the Maximum Correctional Centre.
Participants study history, law, English and economics.
The 2022 course had a gender focus and was themed “We are because I am. Changing selves and communities”.
Saunders was sentenced to two life terms for the rape and murder of 3-year-old Courtney Pieters in 2018.
Saunders, who did not want to speak much, said he joined the programme to be open-minded, learn and unlearn certain things.
“I liked that we got to meet people from different backgrounds and learn from them. I never thought I would have so much interest in education, but now I want to apply for a bursary and study further.
“I enjoyed mostly literature and did well in it. I’m trying to uplift myself and also share the skills I have gained with other people,” he said.
Dubbed a serial murderer who “terrorised” Khayelitsha, Mhlobo was sentenced to six life terms in prison 10 years ago.
Mhlobo and his accomplice, Jabu Ndyebo, shot and killed people during an armed robbery spree in Khayelitsha between November 2010 and September 2011.
“Initially I was busy with an engineering course in another programme.Then this opportunity came up and what attracted me was law. After being sentenced and sent to prison I realised that I had hurt many people through wrong decisions. I decided to change and not do wrong things, even while incarcerated. This was a year-long course and I have gained a lot of skills. It assisted us to think positively and to convince other inmates to take part.
“We got to understand the value of education and this made us eager not to just want to improve our lives but our communities. My intention with education is to assist the youth who might have started doing wrong things to stop, and even those who have not but are in environments that might influence them in the wrong direction. I’ll never give excuses for the crimes that I committed, but I do regret them,” he said.
Inmates entertained guests with poetry and musical items.
Holomisa said the Ubuntu Learning Community was unique and important.
“We were able to equip inmates with quality education while they reconnect with a vibrant section of society. We are particularly pleased with the collaborative, community-building and connectedness approach to learning because connection with students and being treated as peers prepares the inmates for life after release,” said Holomisa.
Asked about the victims and their families who might view such opportunities as being unfair, head of Incarceration Nations Network, Dr Baz Dreisinger said the inmate students were capable of making reparation through the work they did.
“This programme changes their consciousness and commitment to communities. They go back wanting to rebuild in every way. Sadly they (the families) cannot get their loved ones back but at least they can know whoever may have caused harm is not only trying to right their wrongs but right the wrongs of society”.
Cape Times