Prisoner speaks out

He is serving a sentence for armed robbery and murder. Mbilini has decided to share his seven-year journey of self-discovery, guilt and forgiveness through a series of letters that he hopes will be published. His recent letter describes his experiences of being a young teenager that turned into a hardened criminal.

“I was sentenced to life for all my charges,” Mbilini writes in the letter. “I grew up in a family that loved church and my father was a bishop.” He said his parents separated and most of his childhood he spent crying. Mbilini left home at a young age, and destitute, he became a street child. “I ate the remains of what people left and soon I became a hardened criminal, it was my career.”.

Mbilini has remained remorseful through his journey and understood that he was the only one accountable for his actions.

In prison he discovered his passion and talent for writing. “God blessed me with a talent I never knew I had, I see the bad things that are happening in our country, I have a strong conviction within me and although I have committed such terrible atrocities, I want to condemn the actions of others.”.

Mbilini decided to raise awareness on sexual-based violence through his letters by talking about his life and the mistakes he has made. He aims to publish a book and wants all proceeds to go to a charity organisation that focuses on abused women and children. “I would like some of the proceeds raised in my book to go to a charity in my hometown in Potchefstroom.”

Mbilini stressed that he wanted to earn an honest living and show society that he had learnt from his mistakes. He said crime was not the answer to any situation and there were no shortcuts in life.