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An average 233 people per year attend rehabilitation classes through a diversion programme offered by non-governmental organization Valued Citizens Initiative (VCI), and in 2017 ANC MP Mduduzi Manana’s name will appear on the list.
Since the programme started in 2008, VCI has dealt with up to 2097 cases involving parenting skills, life orientation skills, drugs, speed, alcohol, driving under the influence, anger management, damage to property and shop lifting.
Only eight participants have reoffended, VCI founder and managing director Carole Ngono told City Press, adding that “the low rate of reoffenders is testimony to the success of the programme and is largely attributed to our monitoring of beneficiaries for a period of 12 months after completion of the programme.
“Successful completion of the programme results in the charges against the offender being withdrawn; therefore a ‘diverted’ [person] would not have a criminal record.
"The aim is to divert offenders from a prison sentence and a criminal record, and rehabilitate them back into their communities,” Ngono said, who started VCI in 2001.
On Monday the Randburg Magistrates’ Court ordered Manana to seek treatment with VCI as part of his sentence of 12 months in jail or a R100 000 fine.
He was found guilty of three counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, relating to the assault of three women at Cubana in Fourways on August 6.
READ: ‘A constructive citizen’: Manana escapes jail time over Cubana assaults
Ngono said this week that the diversion programme was made up of two modules namely the HEAL (Holistic Empowerment Approach with Love) and PRIDE (Proudly Responsible Individual Dedicated to Empowerment).
“The programme is designed to [help offenders] heal emotionally from experiences which affected their self-esteem, the trust and being of an individual and bring back the dignity offenders lost through court process and their life experiences,” she said.
“The healing process occurs through group training sessions, focused on life skills and visual art processes to reflect on one’s personal journey,” Ngono explained.
“Through the programme [clients] do not just live their lives but lead their lives with a positive attitude and honesty.”
Ngono said she would recommend the programme in place of conventional correctional facilities because “correctional facilities are for a certain kind of crime”.
“When the judge believes that the person can be rehabilitated instead of being incarcerated, then it is worth it to give the individual a second chance through restorative justice and a diversion programme that will enable the person to own their life story and change their life patterns to become the best of who they can be”.
She said the impression or perception that crime was often committed by poor people was incorrect.
“When we look at our clients from townships and urban areas, it is people who have access to support and financial means who resort to use of substances like drugs and alcohol as a way of dealing with stress which leads to crime.”
“So crime has no race, no class and is driven by a lack of self-awareness, a low level of consciousness towards ones actions and a lack of values such as respect, accountability, care, love, uBuntu.
"We have many people in dire need of feeling loved and belonging,” said Ngono.
