Joy as inmates spruce up township school
EXCITEMENT filled the halls of Zimele Senior Secondary School in Ikhwezi township yesterday when a group of prisoners arrived to give their school a makeover.
About 19 offenders from the Mthatha Correctional Centre spent hours yesterday painting walls and roofs, fixing damaged doors and broken windows and cutting grass around the school.
They also brought with them nearly 90 school desks, which they had helped fix.
Eastern Cape correctional services department spokesman Zama Feni, who was among a group of officials accompanying the team to the school, said the initiative formed part of the 67 Minutes for Madiba campaign.
“It is their way of ploughing something back into the community, which also helps connect them with the outside communities,” he said.
“It also helps in their rehabilitation and social reintegration once they come out.”
Feni said the material for the work had been bought by the school while offenders were roped in to provide labour.
“They have been screened carefully to make sure that they cannot pose any harm to the children at the school.”
While many of the pupils yesterday welcomed the team, their reaction was a far cry from when they were first informed that offenders would be coming to the school.
“I was really shocked at first, but these guys are good at what they do,” said the school’s representative council of learners president Yamkela Mlisa yesterday.
“I always had this idea that offenders were mean-looking people who didn’t care about anyone, but this [gesture] has really changed my perception.”
Grade 9 pupil Zamkelekile Mahlubi said she had trembled with fear at the thought of convicts showing up at her school.
However, yesterday she was excited and proud to be associated with Zimele.
An offender who has spent 13 years behind bars for murder said he was particularly touched by the warm reception the prisoners had received from the pupils.
School governing body chairman Sebenzile Huna thanked the team for bringing joy to the hearts of parents and pupils.
Principal Vuyelwa Hardy said as many as 20 doors and windows had to be fixed by the team.
The school, which currently has more than 1 300 pupils, was rebuilt by the government in 2003.
“We try our best to make it attractive to pupils but we are really humbled by what these offenders have come and done here,” she added. —