Thousands of prisoners across the country – including East London correctional services – are knitting feverishly in a bid to make the biggest blanket in the world.
Besides their contribution to the bid to set a new Guinness World Record – the East London inmates – in partnership with the 67 Blankets for Mandela foundation, are knitting for charity and to honour Nelson Mandela on the second anniversary of his death.
Earlier this year, the foundation broke the Guinness World Record for the largest crocheted blanket, measuring 3377m² that was unveiled at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
Foundation founder Carolyn Steyn has since partnered with correctional services, which now aims to set its own record.
Not only are thousands of inmates, who have taken to the crocheting task, trying to make a difference in impoverished communities, they are also striving to make the biggest blanket in the world.
Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Thabang Makwetla, chief deputy commissioner for incarceration and corrections James Smalberger, Yase Godlo of Nelson Mandela Foundation and regional commissioner Nkosinati Breakfast, were among the dignitaries who attended the launch at the East London correctional services on Friday.
Makwetla said the campaign’s aim was to acknowledge the late Nelson Mandela’s substantial contribution to the lives of many South Africans.
“As part of the second anniversary of his death, we are here to make a modest contribution in expanding government efforts aimed at addressing the plight of the destitute in our communities,” Makwetla said.
He said the motto of the campaign they were launching was: “Stitch-by-stitch keep thousands upon thousands of people less fortunate than ourselves warmer over all the winters to come, in the name of our beloved Nelson Mandela”.
Steyn, who recently returned from a visit to Washington where she too launched the campaign said: “We are in the Eastern Cape making ground-breaking announcements for the whole world to sit up and take notice of what we are capable of and how we are honouring the legacy of Nelson Mandela.”
Steyn said when Mandela’s former spokesperson Zelda la Grange challenged her to make 67 blankets by Mandela Day last year, she did not realise that what had started out as a little tea party with family and friends, would explode into what some are now calling a “movement”.
“We now have representation in half the states of the United States and are partnering with the Dangote Foundation to take 67 Blankets throughout Africa,” she said.
It is expected that all the blankets made by inmates across South Africa would be brought to Drakenstein prisons in the Western Cape to coordinate the Guinness World Record attempt.
This forms part of the country’s 22 years of democracy celebrations in April. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
Prisoners in blanket record bid
Besides their contribution to the bid to set a new Guinness World Record – the East London inmates – in partnership with the 67 Blankets for Mandela foundation, are knitting for charity and to honour Nelson Mandela on the second anniversary of his death.
Earlier this year, the foundation broke the Guinness World Record for the largest crocheted blanket, measuring 3377m² that was unveiled at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
Foundation founder Carolyn Steyn has since partnered with correctional services, which now aims to set its own record.
Not only are thousands of inmates, who have taken to the crocheting task, trying to make a difference in impoverished communities, they are also striving to make the biggest blanket in the world.
Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Thabang Makwetla, chief deputy commissioner for incarceration and corrections James Smalberger, Yase Godlo of Nelson Mandela Foundation and regional commissioner Nkosinati Breakfast, were among the dignitaries who attended the launch at the East London correctional services on Friday.
Makwetla said the campaign’s aim was to acknowledge the late Nelson Mandela’s substantial contribution to the lives of many South Africans.
“As part of the second anniversary of his death, we are here to make a modest contribution in expanding government efforts aimed at addressing the plight of the destitute in our communities,” Makwetla said.
He said the motto of the campaign they were launching was: “Stitch-by-stitch keep thousands upon thousands of people less fortunate than ourselves warmer over all the winters to come, in the name of our beloved Nelson Mandela”.
Steyn, who recently returned from a visit to Washington where she too launched the campaign said: “We are in the Eastern Cape making ground-breaking announcements for the whole world to sit up and take notice of what we are capable of and how we are honouring the legacy of Nelson Mandela.”
Steyn said when Mandela’s former spokesperson Zelda la Grange challenged her to make 67 blankets by Mandela Day last year, she did not realise that what had started out as a little tea party with family and friends, would explode into what some are now calling a “movement”.
“We now have representation in half the states of the United States and are partnering with the Dangote Foundation to take 67 Blankets throughout Africa,” she said.
It is expected that all the blankets made by inmates across South Africa would be brought to Drakenstein prisons in the Western Cape to coordinate the Guinness World Record attempt.
This forms part of the country’s 22 years of democracy celebrations in April. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
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