By KOPANO MONAHENG
YOU know Mzansi is moving in the right direction when football occupy centre stage in prisons.
The Department of Correctional Services together with the Supersport United Football Club have partnered to launch the Twinning Project at Kgoši Mampuru II Correctional centre in Pretoria. The project was launched today at the centre.
It is an innovative educational initiative designed to drive social change through football. Having received accolades within the criminal justice environments in the United Kingdom, English Premier League and Major League Soccer, the Twinning project is now coming to the South African shores for the first time.
The purpose of the partnership is to inspire hope, instil discipline, and promote meaningful transformation.
The main aim is to reduce reoffending rates by connecting each correctional centre with a local professional football club. A well-received initiative by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola as he remarked, “football has a unique ability of bringing people together and foster a sense of community.
By participating in the Twinning Project, inmates have an opportunity of creating a supportive environment for positive change.”
This partnership shall involve a total of 48 offenders at the beginning. The 80 CAF License D coaches trained by Correctional Services through South African Football Association (SAFA) will be an additional resource that will be considered during the pilot phase in terms of training to empower offenders, officials and communities with football related knowledge.
While this is good news to a majority of inmates across Mzansi, a lot needs to be done to ensure that this project reaches them.
Stan Matthews, CEO of SuperSport United FC, believes in the potential of sports to transcend boundaries and create opportunities for personal growth, and this project embodies that belief.
“By engaging in football activities, inmates will have the opportunity to develop teamwork, leadership, and discipline as these are invaluable qualities if they are to reintegrate into society successfully,” he said.
Matthews said they were proud to partner with the Twinning Project in using football to change lives for the better. The Twinning Project will kick off with a soccer match between SuperSport United FC Legends and inmates from Kgoši Mampuru II Correctional Centre.
Hilton Freund CEO of the Twinning Project said, “I am delighted to be launching the first Twinning Project provision in Africa alongside our partners the FIFA Foundation and SuperSport United.”
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