Caring plans for Bay‘s babies behind bars

Luyolo Mkentane WEEKEND POST REPORTER

BABIES behind bars at a Port Elizabeth prison where their mothers are inmates may soon have a creche to accommodate them outside the prison walls during the day, thanks to the efforts of former Mrs Port Elizabeth Susan de Kock.

Permission has already been granted by correctional services and the idea is to recruit volunteers to run the creche during the day while the babies would be returned to North End Prison at night to be with their mothers.

De Kock, of Glendinningvale, who was Mrs Port Elizabeth from July 2007 to August 2008, said she‘d been toying with the idea of opening a creche for children living with their mothers in North End Prison for about a year.

“When I was Mrs Port Elizabeth somebody asked me if I knew there were babies in the prison. I then arranged with the authorities to see the babies,” said De Kock, a businesswoman and a Mrs South Africa finalist. She said it was “quite disturbing” to see the babies in prison. Currently there were about four there.

At the beginning of December, De Kock went to East London to approach regional commissioner of correctional services Nontsikelelo Jolingana, who gave her permission to go ahead with her proposal.

“She (Jolingana) was elated that there were people who were keen on taking care of babies behind bars.

“She said if I needed anything I should contact her, although they couldn‘t assist us financially.”

De Kock said the treatment of babies at the prison was “superb – but that‘s not a good environment for a child to grow up in”.

She said she planned to get volunteers to help run the creche. Many volunteers had already offered their services and a few businesses also wanted to get involved in the project.

“Our aim is to take the kids out of prison and into the creche during the day and take them back to prison at night (because) that mother-child bond is very important,” she said.

“The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality said it would look at several premises around town and decide which one to give to us.” De Kock said she was “pressing desperately” for the creche to be opened this month, despite scepticism from some quarters.

“During my reign as Mrs Port Elizabeth, I dedicated my time to serving the community and now that my reign is over, it doesn‘t mean I should stop.”

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