160518 by The Southern Cross

the Southern Cross, May 18 to May 24, 2016

LOCAL

Retreat and healing for crime victims By MANdlA zIBI

OUNT Carmel Youth Training and Conference Centre in Aliwal North, Eastern Cape, became a temporary retreat and place of contemplation for ten crime victims from various regions of the diocese of Aliwal. Aimed at spiritual healing and understanding of their encounter with crime, the retreat was a time for reflection, sharing of stories and mutual support for the group. The initiative was part of the Church’s Restorative Justice Project for the three regions of the diocese of Aliwal. Restorative justice focuses on the needs of both crime victim and offender, as well as the community. It is different from more punitive approaches where the main aim is to

punish the offender, or satisfy the law. Victims take an active role in the process. Assisted by project coordinators Fr Joshua Mpiti, Mandisa Khonjwa, Boniswa Modise and Lekorotsoana Pascal, “the victims went back into some of the darkest corners of their minds and relived nightmarish memories of events they would rather forget”, said Nontu Ntaka of the Mount Carmel training centre. “The only way to regain your life, dignity, sense of worth, sanity and most importantly healing, is by talking about it. The core of the discussion was spiritual healing, what it is, and how to use it. Grief and loss were also a focal point,” she added. According to Ms Ntaka, there are various grief cycles which an indi-

vidual needs to undergo on the path to healing. These include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and others. Usually these all end up in acceptance. “The retreat discussed all these in detail. The next step is for the coordinators to visit the crime victims after the workshop to continue providing support. Some of the victims have been referred to social workers and their local religious figures,” she said.

LEADING member of the Restorative Justice Project team in Aliwal North diocese is Fr Mpiti, a weekly visitor to the area’s Goedemoed prison where he has ministered to offenders as a spiritual worker for the past three years. According to Fr Mpiti, the prison

part of the project is to stop the cycle of criminal or offending behaviour and to assist crime perpetrators to take accountability for their actions and focus instead on becoming productive members of society. “Ex-offenders learn that their behaviour is not only about them and their victim but how it negatively affects other members of the community including their loved ones. One of the highlights of the project is taking ex-offenders, who are on the path of reform, to schools to educate school children first-hand on the true realities and consequences of crime,” he said. Meanwhile, Ms Ntaka told The Southern Cross, as a major milestone of its work, the project is planning a workshop where victims and of-

fenders encounter each other. “This is a very sensitive area of the project’s work and they are approaching it with the utmost caution. There is always the risk of re-traumatisation on the part of the victims,” she said. The Restorative Justice Project started in February 2015 with nine volunteers and now has 20 members from the three regions of the Aliwal diocese—Indwe (Dordrecht), Sterkspruit and Aliwal North. The project is an initiative of the Catholic Church but the group of volunteers consists of members of different religious denominations, including Anglican, Church of Zion, and Methodist. The project is sponsored by Swiss-based organisation Fastenopfer and the Aliwal diocese.

Free life coaching talk in PE T

College matrics go partying ‘in Venice’

HE matrics at De La Salle Holy Cross College in Victory Park, Johannesburg, spent the evening “in Venice”. The college held its 2016 Matric Dance with the theme “Autumn in Venice”—a very well-kept secret until the night. The hall was transformed into the city of Venice, complete with canals, gondolas and masks. “The 2016 matrics, their partners and parents had an

incredible evening and it was a memorable occasion for all,” said Debbie Harris, principal of the college. As is the school tradition, the Grade 11s fundraise, choose a theme and decorate the hall themselves. The entire school turns out for “the Oscars”—to watch their matrics arrive and walk along the red carpet to be cheered and admired. The following evening, the hall was used for the “Come

de la Salle Holy Cross College matrics get ready to party in their transformed school hall. Back, Give Back Dance”. Tickets were sold to students’ parents and past pupils, and all money raised is

donated to a chosen charity, along with blankets brought along by the guests. “I am so proud of our

learners—the Grade 11s outdid themselves and worked so hard during the April holidays,” said Ms Harris.

HE Academy of Life Coaching is offering a free talk at its Eastern Cape launch on May 21 at 14:00 at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth’s Missionvale campus conference centre. The guest speaker is Patricia Manshon, founder and head coach. Please contact Lisa on 060 823 7778 to book your seat.

Award for founding president

The CANON LAW SOCIETY of SOUTHERN AFRICA (CLSSA) ǁŝůů ďĞ ŚŽƐƟ ŶŐ ƚŚĞ ďŝĞŶŶŝĂů ŽŶǀĞŶƟ ŽŶ ƚŽ ďĞ ŚĞůĚ Ăƚ >ƵŵŬŽ /ŶƐƟ ƚƵƚĞ͕ ϰϳ ŝĐŬŝŶƐŽŶ ZŽĂĚ͕ ƌĞŶƚǁŽŽĚ WĂƌŬ͕ ĞŶŽŶŝ͗

Monday evening 27th June - Friday 1st July 2016. dŚĞ ŵĂŝŶ ƐƉĞĂŬĞƌ ǁŝůů ďĞ

Rev. Dr Francis Morrisey OMI,

ĨŽƌŵĞƌ ĞĂŶ ĂŶĚ WƌŽĨĞƐƐŽƌ ŽĨ ĂŶŽŶ >Ăǁ Ăƚ ^ƚ WĂƵů hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚǇ͕ KƩ ĂǁĂ͕ ǁŚŽ ǁŝůů ƐƉĞĂŬ ŽŶ WŽƉĞ &ƌĂŶĐŝƐ͛ DŽƚƵ WƌŽƉƌŝŽ DŝƟ Ɛ /ƵĚĞǆ ŽŵŝŶƵƐ /ĞƐƵƐ͕ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ^ǇŶŽĚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ &ĂŵŝůǇ ŝŶ ZŽŵĞ ŚĞůĚ ůĂƐƚ KĐƚŽďĞƌ͘

/Ŷ ĂĚĚŝƟ ŽŶ͕ ĐůĞƌŐǇ ŵĞĞƟ ŶŐƐ ǁŝƚŚ &ƌ DŽƌƌŝƐĞǇ ǁŝůů ďĞ Žī ĞƌĞĚ ŝŶ :ŽŚĂŶŶĞƐďƵƌŐ ŽŶ ϮϭƐƚ :ƵŶĞ͕ ŝŶ ƵƌďĂŶ ŽŶ ϮϮŶĚ :ƵŶĞ ĂŶĚ ŝŶ ĂƉĞ dŽǁŶ ŽŶ ϮϰƚŚ :ƵŶĞ ĂŶĚ ŵĞĞƟ ŶŐƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ůĂŝƚǇ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĞǀĞŶŝŶŐƐ͕ ŝŶ :ŽŚĂŶŶĞƐďƵƌŐ ŽŶ ϮϬƚŚ :ƵŶĞ͕ ŝŶ ƵƌďĂŶ ŽŶ ϮϮŶĚ :ƵŶĞ ĂŶĚ ŝŶ ĂƉĞ dŽǁŶ ŽŶ ϮϰƚŚ :ƵŶĞ͘ ; ůĞƌŐǇ ŵĞĞƟ ŶŐƐ ĐŽŵŵĞŶĐĞ Ăƚ Ϭϵ͗ϯϬ ĂŶĚ ŵĞĞƟ ŶŐƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ >ĂŝƚǇ ĐŽŵŵĞŶĐĞ Ăƚ ϭϵ͗ϬϬͿ

sĞŶƵĞƐ͗ Durban ^ƚ :ŽƐĞƉŚ͛Ɛ ĂƚŚŽůŝĐ ŚƵƌĐŚ͕ ϮϭϮ &ůŽƌŝĚĂ ZĚ͕ DŽƌŶŝŶŐƐŝĚĞ

;Z^sW ŵǁƚƌŝďƵŶΛŝĂĨƌŝĐĂ͘ĐŽŵͿ Johannesburg >ĂŝƚǇ͗ DŽŶ ϮϬƚŚ :ƵŶĞ͕ Ăƚ DĂƌǇǀĂůĞ WĂƌŝƐŚ ,Ăůů ůĞƌŐǇ Θ ZĞůŝŐŝŽƵƐ͗ dƵĞƐ͘ ϮϭƐƚ :ƵŶĞ͕ Ăƚ ĂƚŚĞĚƌĂů ,Ăůů ;Z^sW ƚƌŝďƵŶĂůΛĐĂƚŚŽůŝĐũŚď͘ŽƌŐ͘ǌĂͿ Cape Town ^ƚ͘ DŝĐŚĂĞů͛Ɛ ĂƚŚŽůŝĐ ŚƵƌĐŚ͕ ZŽŶĚĞďŽƐĐŚ ;Z^sW ƚƌŝďƵŶĂůΛĂĚĐƚ͘ŽƌŐ͘ǌĂͿ

&Žƌ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟ ŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟ ŽŶ ĨŽƌŵƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŽŶǀĞŶƟ ŽŶ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ DĂƌŝĞŬĞ Ăƚ Ϭϭϭ ϰϬϮ ϲϰϬϬ Žƌ ƚƌŝďƵŶĂůΛĐĂƚŚŽůŝĐũŚď͘ŽƌŐ͘ǌĂ͘ ; ŽŽŬŝŶŐƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŽŶǀĞŶƟ ŽŶ ŚĂǀĞ ƚŽ ďĞ ŵĂĚĞ ďǇ ƚŚĞ ϲƚŚ :ƵŶĞ ϮϬϭϲͿ

AINT Augustine College of South Africa conferred its Bonum Commune Award, equivalent to an honorary doctorate, on its founding president, Prof Sr Edith Raidt, at the annual graduation ceremony at the college’s Victory Park campus in Johannesburg. Prof Raidt, a German by birth, was sent to South Africa by her order at the age of 22. Soon after her arrival, she enrolled for a BA degree at the University of Cape Town, and proceeded to obtain the degrees of BA Honours, BEd, MA and PhD. Her PhD in Afrikaans historical linguistics led to an academic career, much of it in the Department of Afrikaans and Nederlands at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Following her retirement from Wits, Prof Raidt played a crucial role in the establishment of South Africa’s only Catholic tertiary academic institution, St Augustine. In 1999 she was appointed the founding president. It was Prof Raidt’s ambition that St Augustine become “a leader in ethical education in Africa for Africans”. Over the next ten years, apart from administration, Prof Raidt taught business ethics and founded the college’s academic journal, St Augustine Papers. Although retired from St Augustine

Brian Scallon, chairman of the board of directors at St Augustine College, presents Prof Sr Edith raidt with the Bonum Commune Award. (Photo: raphael de Kadt) in 2008, Prof Raidt continues to hold the position of president emeritus. Her expertise has been variously recognised: she served as linguistic advisor for both the Oxford English Dictionary and the new Afrikaans Bible translation. She has been awarded honorary doctorates by the universities of Witwatersrand, Potchefstroom, Port Elizabeth and Natal. Among the awards that she has received are the CJ Langenhoven Prize for Linguistics, the Order of Merit of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and, in 2010, Germany’s Cross of the Order of Merit (the Bundesverdienstkreuz).

Nigerian succeeds bishop

IGERIAN Father Anyanele John Chikadi has succeeded Bishop-elect Siegfried Mandla Jwara as provincial superior of the Mthatha province of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Mariannhill. Fr Chikadi arrived in South Africa on December 12, 1996 and was admitted to follow the congregation’s postulancy programme in Bedford, Mthatha, in 1997. Having studied at St Joseph’s The-

ological Institute at Cedara, KZN, between 1999 and 2002, he made his final profession on February 2, 2003 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2004. Fr Chikadi has worked and served the diocese of Mthatha in various pastoral fields, and since 2012 at St Joseph the Worker parish in Port Elizabeth. He has succeeded Bishop-elect Jwara, who has been appointed the apostolic vicar of Ingwavuma.