WATCH: Ravi Naidoo feeds hundreds and inspires change in Alberton after years behind bars
Once behind bars and facing death he now brings hope and healing to the streets through his powerful outreach.
On June 20, Ravi Naidoo and his Salvation Foundation fed between 250 and 300 individuals in Alberton North near KFC. The beneficiaries ranged from schoolchildren to the homeless and drug addicts.
This act of compassion is not a once-off gesture, but part of a growing movement. The foundation has also focused on schoolchildren, believing early intervention can steer young minds away from destructive paths.
“If we can get the children in the right state of mind, maybe they won’t take drugs or drink alcohol. By showing them love, maybe they’ll choose differently,” said Naidoo, founder of Joseph Principles Ex-Offenders Reintegration.
Naidoo’s mission is clear: to uplift, educate and rehabilitate those at risk, particularly the youth, through support, spiritual guidance and practical assistance. His foundation has become a beacon of hope for many, especially those whom society has forgotten.
Into the dark
Naidoo’s passion is born from a life of unimaginable darkness.
Now a Brackenhurst resident, he grew up in Durban. His descent into crime began early, dropping out of school, joining a gang, and eventually becoming leader of the notorious Phoenix Five.
At age 23, he stood before a judge charged with multiple violent crimes, including murder, attempted murder, rape, robbery and assault.
He was arrested on September 8, 1988, and at 24 years old, placed on death row. His sentence: death plus 38 years.
“I was locked up for 23 hours a day. I truly believed I had contributed nothing to life. I remember once holding the wall and whispering, ‘Please don’t fall on me,’” he recalled.
Naidoo explained that inmates on death row who became mentally unstable or refused medication could be fast-tracked for execution. After two months, he was one of them.
“They brought the death warrant, made me sign it, and measured my neck, height and weight. They were preparing to hang me,” he said.
He was not executed due to the political upheaval surrounding the death penalty. After six years, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
A turning point
Prison did not immediately bring rehabilitation. For 15 years, he remained heavily involved in crime, becoming a major drug dealer within prison gangs, including the 26s.
A turning point came in his 17th year behind bars when his father, the only person who had instilled faith in him, passed away.
Three days later, Naidoo broke down.
“I put my head against the cell door and cried out, ‘God, if you’re out there, I need you. I don’t want to die in this place.’ That night marked the beginning of a profound transformation.”
He turned to education and faith, earning qualifications in business management, theology, electrical engineering, catering, home decoration and furniture production.
“Nothing stretches your mind like education,” he said. “Drugs are modern-day leprosy. The youth must stay away from them.”
After 24 years in prison and several parole denials, he was placed on a temporary release programme, permitted to leave prison between 06:00 and 18:00 each day for a year. He was finally released the following year.
“Crime does not pay,” says Naidoo
Naidoo now dedicates his life to the very people he once led astray. Through his organisation, he speaks at schools, runs weekly street and church services, and mentors ex-offenders and addicts.
“For the past three years, we’ve run a street church every Monday, a church service on Wednesdays, and children’s church on Fridays. These are safe spaces to restore and educate minds,” he said.
His message is clear: crime does not pay.
“Don’t fall into bad habits. Gangs and drugs are a fake life. When the gangs recruited me, they said I had no parents. But as the Bible says, honour your father and mother, and you’ll live long.”
Naidoo recalls another death row inmate once telling him, “The day will dawn.” That day has indeed dawned. Twenty-five years later, he is living proof that redemption is possible.
He has also authored a book, Destined to Conquer, which details his harrowing journey and spiritual awakening. It is available for R350 and can be downloaded from Amazon.
“I stand today as a miracle and a living testimony of what God can do. My goal now is to empower others and fight crime wherever I can, because crime doesn’t pay.”
For more information or to support his mission, contact Naidoo on 066 444 5980.
