22 Sep 2022

Lobatse residents have been urged to welcome ex-convicts and reintegrate them into the community.

The request was made by the station commander of Lobatse prison, senior superintendent Babedi Mosimanegape, when launching the Offender Integration Programme for Peleng and Motswedi/Thema townships, at Peleng kgotla on Wednesday September 21.

Mr Mosimanegape explained that government established the Offender Integration Programme with the objective of facilitating reintegration of ex-convicts to normal life in the society.

He said the programme was launched in Letlhakane in October 2021 by the then Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, who directed all prison stations to form the offender integration committees in their areas.

“We have, therefore, formed two committees in Lobatse; one for Peleng and Motswedi/Thema townships and another for Woodhall” Mr Mosimanegape said.

He said the 14-person committees comprising of tribal and religious leaders, prison and government officials, business representatives, four community representatives and ex-convicts representatives, would coordinate the effort to successfully reintegrate ex-convicts into the society. It is chaired by Motswedi/Thema customary court president, Mr Kgotlaetsile Motsamai.

He said the committees would be informed when convicts were being released from prison in order to welcome them and facilitate the process to reconcile them with those they had previously offended. 

He added that the committees would assist in conveying the community views to relevant authorities regarding ex-convicts.

“The objectives of the programme includes the cultivation of acceptance of ex-convicts and facilitation of the reconciliation process. 

Through this programme we hope to reduce incidents of repeat offenders,” he said.

In her remarks, Peleng Customary Court president, Ms Tshegofatso Setumo said ex-convicts had complained about lack of acceptance and discrimination by the society after returning from prison. 

She urged the residents to stop discrimination of ex-convicts and support government efforts to reintegrate them into the society.

One of the residents said the law was being discriminatory by barring ex-convicts from being pastors. 

He, therefore, called for the law to be reviewed to allow ex-convicts, who converted to Christianity to become pastors. Ends