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?In a moving display of the power of education, a prison was transformed into a beacon of freedom and hope during a celebration at the end of last year. The remarkable “graduation" ceremony at the Brandvlei Maximum Correctional Centre near Worcester was the culmination of this year's Ubuntu Learning Short Course presented in collaboration with Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) academics.

A pioneering partnership established in 2018 between SU and the Department of Correctional Services, the Ubuntu Learning Community (ULC) has been reshaping the lives of incarcerated individuals and university students through shared learning. The programme aims to foster educational access for those in prison while empowering students to engage meaningfully with issues of social justice and personal transformation.

At the end-of-year event, participants were presented with certificates for completing a SU accredited interdisciplinary short course facilitated by SU academics from various faculties and departments: History, Law, English and Economics. The 2024 short course theme was “We are because we can: Changing times, changing minds". 

There was a sense of excitement in the colourfully decorated recreation hall of the Brandvlei prison as 20 incarcerated participants in the ULC programme and their families were joined by 20 SU students and academics to welcome the keynote speaker Dr Pieter Groenewald, Minister of Correctional Services. Among the guests were several senior officials from the Department of Correctional Services, including National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale and Regional Commissioner Kenneth Mthombeni.

If there is one word that one does not associate with a prison, it is the word 'joy', Groenewald remarked as he greeted the audience. “But this morning, you have proved it wrong; this is a joyful occasion," he said.

Building bridges through education

Providing an overview of the programme, Dr Mary Nel, senior lecturer in the Department of Public Law at SU and the director of the ULC, highlighted the course's transformative effects. The unique initiative has provided incarcerated individuals and SU students alike an opportunity to build new futures by embracing the spirit of Ubuntu – “I am because we are," Nel said.

“The Ubuntu Learning Short Course gives Stellenbosch 肆客足球 students and Brandvlei students the opportunity to learn side-by-side for 50 hours, breaking down barriers and creating lifelong connections," Nel explained. This was the fourth time the short course was presented in person, she pointed out. “It's wonderful to see alumni from the previous years here with us today."

Nel shared insights into research done in America that showed receiving any kind of education in prison make people less likely to commit crime in future and more likely to be employed and earn better salaries. “Those who studied for university degrees behind bars were a whopping 28% less likely to return to a life of crime and tertiary education yielded the greatest benefit per student as regards wages and educational and employment opportunities," Nel relayed.

The ULC programme also aims to address the stigma that accompanies incarceration, which often follow people even after their release. ULC offers social support and reintegration for participants post-incarceration.

Nel read touching feedback from one of the year's participants in Brandvlei: “The course has liberated my mind, soul and spirit, because I received that feeling of being human," the incarcerated individual wrote. “Prison sometimes makes you feel like you're a dead person, like you don't exist anymore. But interacting with people from the outside world and sharing ideas with them made me realise I'm still a human being."

Nel emphasised the lasting impact of such experiences on graduates' lives, noting how ULC alumni often return to their communities with a commitment to positive social engagement.

One such role model is Awande Mshotana who attended the celebration. A Brandvlei alumni from 2019, Mshotana is now Director of Paralegal Education at the People's Legal Centre, a Cape Town based community organisation that empowers South Africans with legal resources. After leaving Brandvlei, he went on to study law and was invited as a guest lecturer for the Criminal Justice in Action law module at SU.

'Societal responsibility in action'

Before the Minister took to the stage, students and family members shared emotional testimonies about the impact of the ULC programme. A father of one of the Brandvlei participants described how being part of ULC has radically changed his son's life. “I want to say to the Minister, there is good work being done here. As parents, we don't take this lightly. Everyone wants to be a graduate of Stellenbosch 肆客足球."

Groenewald commended the collaborative effort between SU and Correctional Services as a model for transformation. “This is a practical demonstration of societal responsibility in action, and we want to thank you for what you and your team are doing," he said addressing Nel.

The ultimate aim of Correctional Services is to ensure that people in facilities are reintegrated back into society in a successful way, Groenewald emphasised.

In a heartfelt message, he spoke directly to the incarcerated students. “Each and every one of us has something good in us. It doesn't matter what mistakes you made. The secret is how you deal with your mistakes," he said. “You are proof that you can overcome your mistakes, and you can be empowered."

Groenewald mentioned he agreed with Nel when she stated earlier: “Nobody should be defined forever only by the worst thing they've ever done."

In a poignant moment the Minister invited a young participant to stand, pointing to the words on the back of her T-shirt: “Free our minds" (the ULC slogan). He reflected on the deeper meaning of the phrase, urging graduates to liberate themselves from mental confines. “Freedom must be practiced," he stressed. Freedom is not just the absence of physical bars; it's about freeing your mind from the limitations you place upon yourself, he concluded.

A highlight of the morning was when Groenewald was presented with a beautiful portrait one of the Brandvlei students had painted of him. An art programme, presented by Vanessa Pilkington, was introduced this year to the ULC Programme to provide incarcerated individuals with the opportunity to explore their creativity and express their personal growth through visual art. Groenewald said he is fond of art and the painting will have a very special place in his office.

With the achievements of the 2024 cohort, the ULC continues to grow its network of alumni who are determined to carry the principles of Ubuntu into their communities. Many of this year's graduates plan to continue their education, while others will focus on community service, embodying the ULC's message of social justice and reconciliation.

INFORMATION SESSION: “FREE OUR MINDS” - UBUNTU LEARNING SHORT COURSE?

An information session will be held on 12 March 2025 for students who would like to participate in this year's course.

• Venue: Old Main Building (Faculty of Law), Stellenbosch campus: Room 10230
• Time: 17h30