President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to officially open the Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy at the Drakenstein Correctional Facility in the Western Cape on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in South Africa’s commitment to humane correctional practices and human rights.
Drakenstein Correctional Facility, formerly known as Victor Verster Prison, is historically significant as the site from which Nelson Mandela walked to freedom on 10 February 1990 after 27 years of imprisonment. That moment is widely regarded as a turning point in South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy, which culminated in Mandela becoming the country’s first democratically elected president in 1994.
As part of the programme, President Ramaphosa will visit Madiba House, where Nelson Mandela lived during the final years of his incarceration. The visit will precede the official opening of the Nelson Mandela Rules Training Academy, described as the first facility of its kind in the country.
According to the Presidency, the academy is aimed at strengthening correctional training and practice in line with international human rights standards, while reinforcing the dignity and rights of offenders. The initiative also reaffirms South Africa’s role in promoting humane and rights-based correctional systems globally.
The opening comes as 2026 marks 11 years since the adoption of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, commonly known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, and 16 years since the adoption of the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders, known as the Bangkok Rules.
These international instruments set out minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners, emphasising human dignity, rehabilitation and justice rooted in humanity. The Presidency said the establishment of the training academy reflects South Africa’s continued commitment to embedding these principles within its correctional system.
South Africa will work closely with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the custodian of the Nelson Mandela Rules, to ensure the effective implementation of the standards through training and institutional practice.
President Ramaphosa is expected to officially open the academy at 08h00 at the Drakenstein Correctional Facility.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the initiative underscores the country’s dedication to advancing human rights and transforming correctional services in line with Nelson Mandela’s legacy.
