In the North West corner of South Africa in the Limpopo province, about 40 km outside Tohoyandou, lies a small village called Khakhu which is the operating site for Dilonde Aids Awareness and Home Based Care Organisation. Dilonde was established in July 2000 by a group of unemployed youth, men and women from disadvantaged communities, after realising the high rate of HIV/AIDS infection and its impact on these communities.

Who is the Restorative Justice Centre all about?

Restorative justice is a growing international movement. Instead of focusing exclusively on punishment it suggest that justice is about making things right: addressing the needs of these who have been harmed and taking steps to prevent the incident from happening again. It provides the basis for engaging with victims and their needs, for engaging with offenders and for connecting with broader crime prevention strategies. It stresses the need for direct participants and the community to be involved in working out a response to individual incidents and to crime generally. By its very nature, it nurtures hope. Research done with participants from these processes indicates that victims feel safer and that offenders are less likely to re-offend.

The Restorative Justice Centre (RJC) provides services to victims and offenders based on this approach. Its services reached over 2700 people last year.

This community development project is situated in Limpopo province in Xikukwana village, about 20 minutes drive from Giyani along the Malamulele main road. The organisation was established in December 1998 and was recognised and started to receive funding by the Provincial Department of Health in 2004. The project manager, Amukelani Flora Chauke, explains that the organisation was created in order to educate the community about different health issues, in particular HIV/AIDS and TB.

Bula Mahlo is situated in Badimong, Mentz along the road between Polokwane and Tzaneen in the Limpopo province. It was funded in November 2003 by community member Maria Malatgi and in 2006 the organisation was recognised and funded by the Department of Health. The organisation has evolved a lot since the time it was established.

Starting out as a Home Based Care provider conducted from the home of the founder it soon extended the service to include a Drop In Centre for orphans and vulnerable children. At present the Home Based Care branch is renting its own office while the children are accommodated at four different sites in order to avoid too long travelling distances, but the administration is still run from Maria Malatgis home.

The Montagu Advice Office is a voluntary organization established in 2003 for the promotion of a holistic approach to development in the Western Cape, with special regard to the village of Montagu and surrounds.

In addition to implementing development projects, the organisation provides a paralegal service to organisations and individuals in the areas of: Dismissal Charges; Unfair Labour Practise; HIV/AIDS; Victims of Abuse; Youth; Children; People with Disabilities; Gender; Consumer Affairs; Service Contracts; and Community Development.

Thabong Drop In Centre is situated in Matshelapata village on the way between Tzaneen and Polokwane in South Africa’s Limpopo province. It was established 2003 as a response to a community need to assist the increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children. 

At present 178 children are benefiting from the services. The centre operates daily from two different sites and 13 volunteers from the community carry out the work.

Prof. Leila Patel has a PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand (1992), an MSW from West Michigan University, USA (1979), and a BA (social work) from the University of the Western Cape (1976).

Prof. Patel is Professor of Social Development Studies and Director of the Centre for Social Development in Africa. She is also the editor of the journal The Social Work Practitioner-Researcher. Previous positions include Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of the Witwatersrand; Director General, Department of Welfare and Population Development; consultancy; academic teaching and research; and various editing, community, policy, and social work positions.

The Community Law and Rural Development Centre, CLRDC, is an independent, non-profit organisation that empowers communities in rural areas to become self-reliant and participate meaningfully in the decision-making that affects their daily lives.  It also works to improve the quality of life for the rural communities by promoting the fundamental rights and values of the Constitution with special emphasis on the elimination of inequality, injustice, discrimination and poverty.