prisoners

Noem my Skollie is a film based on the life of South African writer, John W Fredericks. The lead role is played by Dann-Jacques...

South Africa's 67 Blankets for Mandela charity has claimed the record for the world's largest blanket this month‚ creating a collaborative blanket large enough to cover two-and-a-half rugby fields - with the help of people around the globe and prisoners across the country.

It was a tricky global environment when Boutros Boutros-Ghali became the secretary-general of the United Nations in 1992. The world was emerging from the Cold War and countries were redefining relationships with each other. He navigated a new path for the organisation.

The United Nations has launched revised guidelines on the treatment of prisoners worldwide, to ensure they are treated humanely and with dignity. Named after Madiba, the Nelson Mandela Rules outline the rights of prisoners and act as a blueprint for the protection of prisoner rights.

Named to honour Mandela's legacy, they update the UN's rules on the treatment of prisoners, and protect prisoners from torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment - they "probably represent one of the most significant human rights advances in recent years".

An inspiring project is giving hope to prisoners at five correctional facilities by teaching them horticultural skills. And the proof is in the pudding: fewer people who have gone through the programme return to prison. Instead they concentrate on getting their lives back on track. And that’s “how we measure our success”.

Using the UNAids World Aids Day theme for 2011 to 2015 – “Getting to Zero” – over the next 12 months South Africa will focus on achieving zero discrimination against people living with HIV and Aids, while not forgetting the goals of zero HIV infections and zero Aids-related deaths.

It has been a year since Nelson Mandela passed on. His departure, mourned by the world, still impacts us today, prompting us to live by his example with compassion, reconciliation and Ubuntu.

South Africa's Working on Fire firefighting programme not only saves lives and billions of rands in property every year, it also changes for the better the lives of the ex-prisoners and once-destitute people who fight the fires.

South Africa's Working on Fire firefighting programme not only saves lives and billions of rands in property every year, it also changes for the better the lives of the ex-prisoners and once-destitute people who fight the fires.