Prisoner Zulu dance group goes regional
Competition forms part of the offender rehabilitation and also promotes unity and friendly competition among offenders
The Amafikalishona Prisoners Zulu dance group will compete at the regional level soon. This comes after they were judged as the best performing group and came first during an Offender Indlamu (Zulu Dance) competition which was held on June 24 in the Medium A Hall.
In second place was Ama-4×4 and Imithente came third. The three groups received trophies after the performance. The competition comprised of eight groups all from Waterval Medium A.
Thembinkosi Mathenjwa, head of Medium A, explained that this competition forms part of the offender rehabilitation and also promotes unity and friendly competition among offenders. “The aim of this competition is to find or expose talents among offenders which will help them integrate into society when they are released from the prison,” said Mathenjwa. The winner will go on to compete with seven other centres in KZN and the winner will compete on national level.
“This is part of rehabilitation which involves sports and recreation,” he said, adding that he was very grateful to see the offenders dedicating themselves in Zulu dancing and sports.
These Zulu dance competitions started a long time ago when the department changed from prisons to correctional centres. Mathenjwa thanks the provincial Commissioner, Mnikelwa Nxele, for granting them permission to compete.
Motivational speaker, Madoda Zungu said they are all coming from different places, households and they are doing different things. “Some of you are asking yourself why others are not arrested whereas they are corrupt,” he said, “offenders should forget about the past and think about the future.”
He urged them to learn so that they will come out of the Correctional Centre equipped with skills that will help them earn a living. “Know yourselves and understand that you were never born by mistake. Being here does not mean that you are corrupt, then all the people in the world are here by mistake because of some of you,” Zungu said, adding that offenders should focus on the future and explore their talents.