March 2011

Pretoria - The Correctional Services Department will begin the Mpumalanga leg of its public hearings on the renaming of correctional centres this morning at the Barberton rugby field.

This is part of Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula's plan to rename 11 correctional centres in all six regions of the department. The first phase, which comprised of written submissions, ended last month.

The theme for the renaming campaign is: "Contributing to social cohesion through renaming of Correctional Centres,” further public hearings are scheduled to take place in Modimolle, Kroonstad and Mitchells Plain.

A call to rename the country’s correctional facilities has come under fire from academics and organisations, which said the renaming was unnecessary as more pressing matters in Correctional Services had to be addressed. But the department has maintained that the renaming is as important as other Correctional Services matters.

Pretoria - Correctional Services National Commissioner Tom Moyane presented the department's five-year strategic plan, which provides bold and clear performance targets, to the Portfolio Committee.

Presenting the plan in Cape Town on Tuesday, Moyane said his department remained focused on turning around a number of problematic areas, including jacking up the department's information technology systems and improving integration with the broader criminal justice system.

In his presentation, the commissioner promised to make significant improvements in strengthening internal controls and improve rates of conviction of officials charged with fraud, corruption and serious maladministration, from the already high level of 84 percent to 92 percent by 2015/16.

Moyane said to strengthen internal controls, no major expenditure will be undertaken on any project without a proper business case to avoid historical pitfalls of hasty decisions to expend significant funds on poorly thought through projects.