Eastern Cape Correctional Services inmates entertained a full house with a stunning show at the City hall on Thursday 11 July. This is through their rehabilitation programme initiated by Correctional Services.
Eastern Cape Correctional Services inmates entertained a full house with a stunning show at the City hall on Thursday 11 July. This is through their rehabilitation programme initiated by Correctional Services.
"Life inside the correctional services is not the end of the world," said Correctional Services regional head, Claudette Van Zyl.
It was a full house at the City Hall, with the locals and visitors attending.
The audience was electrified. People even stood up singing along with the jazz act by St Albans’ Jazz Band from Port Elizabeth when performing Jimmy Soul’s If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life and One Way’s Who’s fooling who?.
Local marimba band from Grahamstown’s Correctional Services entertained the audience with the famous Xhosa hymn composed by Tiyo Soga, Lizalise idinga lakho Nkosi.
One of the highlights during the show was the Kimberly Correctional Services Jazz Band. Group leader and Guitarist Enslin Scholtz moved the audience immensely with his skills.
The audience wanted more from the band but they had to make way for East London Gospel Group.
"He’s very good, very talented, he’s just the best," said former Generations actor Seputla Sebogodi.
He further said that he’d like Scholtz to play for his band.
Sebogodi said he’ll keep in touch with the authorities for his details, as he can’t get them directly from Sholtz because of the parole he’s still serving.
East London Gospel Group also gave a very decent performance.
Traditonal acts from Imfene Traditional Group and amaMpondo Traditional Group, both from Idutywa, moved the audience greatly.
When asked about the motives behind the Xhosa chant that they performed, Khumbula nibuyele kundalashe (Remember and go back to ancient African times), amaMpondo group member Nceba Bavuse, explained that "it was inspired by former president Thabo Mbeki’s African Renaissance and the fact that people, nowadays, devalue their African ways of doing things".
For Van Zyl this was the opportunity for the inmates to showcase their talent. Indeed the inmates had lots to offer. Sebogudi thanked Correctional Services for bringing such inspiring acts.
"These type of events gives hope for the future and there are lots of positives that can be drawn from our Correctional Services," said Sebogudi.
Communications manager of Amathole area Correctional Services, Sivuyiswe Matanga, said that was the aim- to showcase the inmates’ talents and showing society that there is more to life than being involved in wicked acts.
The show was a success and people are looking forward on seeing more stories from Correctional Services nationwide and as Sebogudi aptly put it "the show was fantastic".
