The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Michael Masutha, says government will this year launch the Nelson Mandela Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

The Minister said this when briefing journalists ahead of tabling the Correctional Services Budget Vote Speech in the Old Assembly Chamber in Parliament recently.

Masutha said the launch of the Mandela Rules was one of the things that would be unveiled to commemorate the centenary birthday celebrations of struggle icons Nelson Mandela and Albertina Sisulu.

“In July this year, our country will launch the Nelson Mandela Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

“The Mandela Rules, which Cabinet approved in March this year, are a set of universally acknowledged minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners to which member states of the United Nations committed themselves in December,” he said.