“Don’t be a fool, crime is not cool”
Mmasabata Mofurutsi
ArcelorMittal South Africa Foundation,
in conjunction with the Department of
Correctional Services and other
stakeholders, hosted the Crime
Awareness Campaign Cycle Tour from
27 to 30 May 2014. This is the second
year that ArcelorMittal South Africa has
taken part in this initiative, which travels
across Deneysville, Sasolburg,
Vereeniging and Evaton.
The tour aims to discourage the youth
from engaging in criminal activities,
thereby reducing crime. It also hopes to
highlight the plight of ex-offenders who
are affected by the stigma associated with imprisonment and also to prepare them mentally for the
many challenges which they will face outside once released from prison. The Department of
Correctional Services has introduced rehabilitation programmes to empower offenders with skills
and to be easily re-integrated back into the communities. “This initiative will go a long way in
promoting the stakeholder involvement in dealing with the social ills within the community,
rehabilitation and the re-integration of offenders,” explains Solly Korae, Community Liaison Officer
at the Department of Correctional Services.
The Awareness Campaign Cycling Tour
started at Groenpunt Correctional Facility,
and then travelled to Sasolburg Correctional
Centre and finally Leeuhof Prison. Seven
high schools, LE Notsi Secondary,
Nkgopoleng Secondary, KahobotjhaSakhubusha Secondary, Isizwe Sechaba
Secondary, Riverside High, Poelano
Secondary and Maxeke Secondary were
visited, reaching approximately 4000
leaners. Each day the cyclists interacted
with the various learners in the communities
spreading the message “Don’t be a fool,
crime is not cool”.
This is the second year that the
ArcelorMittal South Africa Foundation has
committed to sponsoring the Crime
Awareness Campaign Cycle Tour. In 2013,
the Company sponsored 20 bicycles,
helmets, and gear and placed notice
boards at the selected schools.
“The ArcelorMittal South Africa Foundation
is proud to be part of the Crime Awareness
Campaign Cycle Tour that strives to make
communities, and especially the youth,
aware that crime does not pay. Many of our
youth are uninformed about the
consequences of criminal behaviour and
the effects of drugs, and we deem it necessary to implement awareness campaigns to teach our
youth about consequences of such crimes”, says Prudence Masike, Corporate Communications
Specialist at ArcelorMittal South Africa.