By Selloane Ntshonyane
- President Cyril Ramaphosa will open the Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy at Drakenstein Correctional Facility on Wednesday, 11 February.
- The academy will train prison warders in humane and rights-based correctional practices and it is the first of its kind.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will open the Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy on 11 February at Drakenstein Correctional Facility.
The facility, formerly known as Victor Verster Prison, is where former president Nelson Mandela walked to freedom on 10 February 1990 after he spent 27 years in prison.
Ramaphosa will tour Madiba House during his visit to the facility. This is the residence where Mandela lived during the final years of his imprisonment before his release.
The academy will train prison warders in humane and rights-based correctional practices. It is the first of its kind in South Africa.
The training programme aims to strengthen the protection of the dignity and rights of offenders within the correctional system.
The launch comes as 2026 marks 11 years since the adoption of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. These are known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.
This year also marks 16 years since the adoption of the United Nations Bangkok Rules. These rules focus on the treatment of women prisoners and non-custodial measures for women offenders.
Both international frameworks promote the humanisation of correctional systems and the recognition of inherent human dignity.
The establishment of the new training academy reflects South Africa’s commitment to embedding these principles in correctional services.
The country will work closely with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. This partnership will support the effective implementation of the Nelson Mandela Rules throughout the correctional system.
Pictured above: Department of Correctional Services minister Pieter Groenewald at the launch event.
Image source: Department of Correctional Services
