Pretoria - Inmates at Zonderwater Correctional Centre were on Tuesday urged to be inspired by Nelson Mandela’s pioneering spirit and help transform society when their jail time had ended.
The inmates received the inspiring words during a 67 Blankets for Mandela Day visit to thank them for helping to make blankets for underprivileged people.
“The inmates at Zonderwater made 908 blankets – the most. Other correctional centres made 200 or 400, but this group made an astounding 908 blankets,” said Carolyn Steyn, founder of the 67 Blankets for Mandela Day project.
Inmates from correctional centres across the country helped to knit and crochet blankets which were then stitched together to make the world’s largest blanket for a second time, she said.
Steyn handed over a Guinness World Records certificate to the centre to show that it held a second world record – and all 20 men who participated in crocheting the blankets were given participation certificates.
Zodwa Mahlwele from the Zonderwater Correctional Centre said the occasion was to celebrate the participation of inmates in winning the Guinness World Records for the second time. “This proves rehabilitation as a change agent,” she said.
Since the beginning of the project, no contraband had been found, she said. “This project has proven that anyone can change if they are given opportunities and resources."
Radio personality Thabo Molefe, popularly known as Tbo Touch, was asked to give a motivational talk to the inmates. But he went one better and offered an inmate a job on his radio channel, Touch Central, saying he was very impressed with his deep voice.
Molefe said prison should not define the inmates. “Some of you will not fit into society; some of you are too big to fit into society. You should go out there and transform society.".
He said the inmates should not define themselves by the law, but by the gift God gave them.
The inmates were part of the entertainment for the day with some performing gospel, hip hop and reggae songs, proving that their talents grew and were nurtured while in prison.
Muzi Kunene, who spoke on behalf of the inmates who were involved with the project, thanked Steyn for seeing them as humans and not prisoners.
They gave gifts to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund as well as 67 Blankets for Mandela Day.
The gifts were crocheted pixel squares of Mandela’s face made into a big blanket which was framed. It would be put up in the respective organisations' headquarters.
Yase Godlo of the Nelson Mandela Foundation said the blanket drive was one of the most successful of the Mandela Day initiatives. “I hope you do great things when you get out of prison; I hope you are inspired by Mandela’s story (of spending 27 years in prison then going on to being a global icon of peace and reconciliation)."