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Not in our hood: Students prevent ex-cons from moving into their neighbourhood

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House 17 on Scholtz Street in Universitas, Bloemfontein, was intended to house ex-convicts. Picture: Voight Mokone
House 17 on Scholtz Street in Universitas, Bloemfontein, was intended to house ex-convicts. Picture: Voight Mokone

UFS students foil correctional services’ plan to house ex-convicts 1.6km away from campus

When students at the University of the Free State (UFS) discovered that a number of recently released convicts were going to be moving into their street, they swung into action.

Not wanting to have criminals in their neighbourhood to attract other criminals, the students ground the department of correctional services’ plans to a halt and the ex-convicts couldn’t move in as scheduled on Wednesday.

Last week the students were furious about the department’s decision to house six parolees at 17 Scholtz Street in Universitas, Bloemfontein, down the road from the university.

They said they feared for their safety, living so close to former prisoners who had yet to be reintegrated into society.

The six had been convicted of serious crimes, ranging from murder and rape to theft, said Free State deputy regional commissioner Kenneth Mthombeni.

Mthombeni said last month the department advertised a tender for a halfway house for parolees in Bloemfontein.

The owner of the Universitas house, which is 1.6km from campus, won the contract.

A student who alerted City Press to the department’s plans alleged that some students were renting rooms on the same property where parolees were due to move in.

“The owner insisted on bringing the ex-convicts regardless of how we felt about this issue. When we asked her what if some of us got raped she said she didn’t care, she was in business,” the student said.

Students raised their concerns at a meeting held at the house last Wednesday between students, locals and correctional services officials.

Another student said as much as they wanted parolees to be helped, they should not live among them.

“A student got mugged on her way to the university not long ago and if criminals are aware that there are ex-convicts living among us, they will do whatever they like because they know that this could be blamed on ex-convicts,” said the student.

A third student said having parolees living among them would pose a threat to students who walk home from campus at night.

He said students were already in danger because they didn’t have their own transport to travel to campus at night.

“This area is dark and there are no street lights. Why doesn’t the department spend its money building a halfway house somewhere for parolees?” he asked.

Attempts to obtain comment from the owner of the Scholtz Street house came to nothing.

When City Press contacted the woman whom the students said owned the house, she denied being the owner.

Mthombeni said the parolees concerned did not have family support systems and could not be released into their homes.

Last year, they were placed in a halfway house in Kroonstad, but that lease expired.

He added that the department would no longer place parolees on the property after learning that students opposed the move.

Mthombeni said the department had consulted locals who provided signatures agreeing to allow parolees to live in the house: “We engaged with neighbours and communities; we have that in our records. It would appear that the students are not happy and on becoming aware of this we convened a meeting with the service provider who confirmed their unhappiness. We agreed that we won’t proceed with the process. I cannot go ahead with it while we are at loggerheads.”

He said proximity to transport and accessibility to work were factors to consider when choosing a location for a halfway house, but it’s the department’s responsibility to ensure that communities feel safe: “We are not an irresponsible department that can unleash dangerous criminals among students,” he said, adding that the parolees had been rehabilitated and their integration into society was part of that process.

Mthombeni said the parolees would have taken part in various rehabilitation programmes drafted by experts, psychologists and religious leaders, which would help them to curb the chances of reoffending by examining the reasons they committed crime.

“Our duty is to be custodians of offenders and ensure their rehabilitation. They can be paroled and reintegrated into the community. There is no way we can achieve the path of reintegration if we are at loggerheads with communities.”

In the meantime, the department will readvertise the tender and the parolees will remain in prison until other housing is found.

“These offenders could be your brothers, cousins, sons and uncles. That’s why we are appealing to communities. Our country doesn’t have corporal punishment. There’s no mineshaft to throw people in,” Mthombeni said.


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