MEN CHAMPIONING CHANGE BRINGS NEW HOPE BEHIND BARS
By Sello Tang.
- The Men Championing Change programme was extended for the first time to correctional centres, fostering awareness and behaviour change among male inmates.
- The engagement addressed the primary factors contributing to HIV, including gender-based violence, substance abuse, and sexual misconduct.
- Inmates advocated for the implementation of more frequent sessions throughout South African correctional facilities, acknowledging the program’s capacity to promote positive transformation and support successful reintegration.
The Department of Social Development’s HIV Prevention Directorate, through its Social and Behaviour Change Programme – Men Championing Change, hosted an engagement session with male inmates at the Sasolburg Correctional Service Centre in the Free State Province on 4 November 2025.
“This is the first time, since the launch of the Men Championing Change initiative, that we have taken the programme into correctional facilities,” said Dr Luzile Nziyane, Director of the Department’s HIV Unit. She emphasised the importance of addressing the root causes of HIV, including gender-based violence, substance abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, particularly among those who have committed these offences.
The session was facilitated in collaboration with the South African Samaritan Organisation (SASO) and supported by the local Social Development office. Inmates expressed appreciation for the initiative, noting that such interventions promote reflection, accountability, and personal transformation. Several participants encouraged the Department to roll out similar sessions in correctional facilities nationwide.
The programme is scheduled to resume 5 November 2025 in Parys, near Sasolburg, where it will focus on oversight and monitoring of a government-funded non-profit organisation implementing community-based behavioural change programmes for men.
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