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FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS COME GREAT THINGS

By Correctional Wheel | 2021-11-27

Entrepreneur and author Jodie Cook once said “Being a master of one thing might mean you are an artist or an academic.” Being a master of more means your work has a chance to reach people. You don’t wait to be discovered and the power is in your hands. Holding good working knowledge of a lot of areas is desirable and those who hire you might feel like they have hit the jackpot.”

The author must have had His Majesty’s Correctional Services Chaplain Nkosinathi Charles Nxumalo in mind when she uttered these powerful words. From humble beginnings in Nkambeni grubby roads in the early ’80s where Nxumalo was born and raised by his Christian parents who worshipped at St John’s Church, Nxumalo has achieved greatness, from being a Boy Scout to attaining the leadership seat of the Eswatini Scouts Association as the Chief Commissioner.

When growing up, Nxumalo was different from the other lads as they spent their time playing football while he invested his time in supporting other peers who needed assistance more than he did. ‘ I was not a sports person so I opted to help other kids in different areas such as encouraging them to work hard at school as well as studying with them after school,” he said.

Nxumalo revealed these courageous testimonials during an interview with the Public Relations (PR) desk where he unpacked his journey from being a Boy Scout to becoming the His Majesty’s Correctional Services Chaplain. “I don’t want to lie, I came from humble beginnings and that is where God always Gives great blessings. He blesses me continuously and all I can say is nothing is impossible with the Almighty Lord.”

Nxumalo’s upbringing was not as rosy as one may think as he moved from one relative to the other due to financial challenges his parents had back then, but that did not stop him from fulfilling his dreams.

The chaplain who is pursuing a Bachelor of Education at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) was not afraid to state that he attended four primary schools before reaching high school. “My parents had no money for school fees so I wouldn’t be surprised if people called me a nomad but the difference with me was that I had a permanent place to stay while my parents could not afford to pay for my fees. As a result, I ended up attending different churches.’ he said.

Nxumalo is where is now due to his commitment to school work and the Eswatini Scouts Association. He was never ashamed to acknowledge everyone for their support towards nurturing him since he was a boy.

He further praised the Lord for not forsaking him during his difficult times. pledged The Chief Commissioner pledged the nation for support in Eswatini Scouts Association stating that its aim was to contribute to the development of boys, girls and young adults in achieving their full potentials as individuals, as responsible members of their local, national and international communities by developing their character, training them in citizenship and developing their spiritual, social, mental, and physical qualities.

“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one,” the department prides itself to have an officer who doubles a chaplain of Nxumalo’s caliber. Joining His Correctional Services in 2012 as a recruit, Nxumalo was already an ordained pastor ministering at Acts 1:8 Tabernacle Mission Centre. After officially joining the department, Nxumalo started working at Matsapha Correctional Centre as an officer.

Because of his teaching background, he was tasked to resume duties as an educational officer. Then in 2015 God as he said, paved his way to the chaplaincy section as he was appointed the station’s chaplain. According to Nxumalo, he never joined the department to be a chaplain but joined as a Correctional officer.

The chaplain sent his sincere appreciation to Commissioner General Phindile LaMakhosini Dlamini and her executive for trusting him with the task of being part of officers under the department’s rehabilitation and developmental programmes aimed at enhancing the protection of civil society by actively encouraging and assisting offenders to safely and successfully reintegrate into society. This is done through a spiritual care programme that offers practical, spiritual, emotional, and social support.

These programmes impart market-oriented skills and re-shape an offender’s mindset towards self-development and successful reintegration. The chaplains have been deployed in all the centres to coordinate all spiritual activities within the department and the society.

Chaplains provide counseling services to offenders and officers that include individual, group or family counseling as per prevailing needs, the course created a platform for the chaplains to learn new strategies of handling traumatic situations Concluding his speech the chaplain pleaded with the nation not to reject ex-offenders as he mentioned that this was a setback following the department’s efforts to curb recidivism.

Former inmates often relapse into their criminal tendencies after experiencing serious rejection by families and societies. As a result, these offenders fail to easily reintegrate into society due to stigmatisation and negative labeling by the same people expected to have an understanding that they deserve another chance in life.

Nxumalo also advised families to visit their incarcerated relatives as he said by so doing, inmates would feel the love and support hence the rehabilitation process of offenders and further ease their reintegration into society.

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