Prisoners find meaning in Madiba blanket drive
Crocheting ‘brings calm’ and sense of achievement
PUTTING needle to wool to help create part of the world’s largest blanket, with Nelson Mandela’s face on it, inmates at two Port Elizabeth prisons showed off their crocheting abilities yesterday.
In commemoration of what would have been Madiba’s 100th birthday this year, scores of inmates from correctional services facilities across the country – including the North End and St Albans prisons – have crocheted 160cm by 160cm blankets.
This forms part of the Massive Mandela Masterpiece, or #MMM, and is being driven by 67 Blankets.
Once completed, the blanket will be stitched together and laid out across the lawn at the Zonderwater Correctional Centre in Gauteng.
It will be able to be viewed from the sky or outer space in April.
This initiative was started in 2013 by socialite and philanthropist Carolyn Steyn to keep the disadvantaged warm in winter.
“Initially I had this idea of covering the Union Buildings [lawn] in a sea of blankets and entering the Guinness World Records for the largest or most blankets in the world.
“I visited schools, churches and old age homes, but we really needed thousands of blankets, and then I thought about including prisoners.
“67 Blankets has really changed the mindset of so many inmates at Zonderwater and this is symbolic of how they are knitting together their broken lives and broken trust and are finding their humanity again by giving back to their communities.”
The massive blanket will feature Madiba’s face in black and grey‚ while the border will consist of blankets knitted in four colours from the South African flag – red‚ yellow‚ blue and green.
Inmates in Nelson Mandela Bay were tasked with crocheting blue blankets.
St Albans inmate Simphiwe Befile, 43, who co-founded the prison’s art programme, at the prison. is proud of his work.
“We often get made fun of inside [the prison] for doing something that women are supposed to do, but that does not bother me,” he said.
“Crocheting keeps me calm and relaxed.
“It takes my mind off a lot of other things and it makes me feel so proud that we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.”
Befile said they had 21 inmates crocheting blankets in a bid to add to #MMM and 15 blankets had already been completed.
Fellow inmate Freedom Vena, 40, said the biggest satisfaction was that he was adding something positive to society.
“I did this with my own hands and it will end up with someone who really needs it one day and that makes me feel very proud,” Vena said.
“We have everything in here that we need, and I know there are people who are really suffering and will
This is symbolic of how they are knitting together their broken lives
appreciate something warm.”
North End prison inmate Nwabisa Mlonzi, 30, said she was grateful to be a part of history.
“It is amazing to know that I am part and parcel of something this great in the name of Madiba.”
Department of Correctional Services offenders’ sport, recreation, arts and culture acting director Laetitia Redman said: “We have a longstanding relationship with 67 Blankets and right now our target is 3 850 blankets.
“So far, we have more than 2 500 blankets that have been completed by the department.”