Helping prisoners to reform

It is human nature to have the need for survival and we therefore strive to keep alive at all cost.

Ours is a desperate struggle to persevere within an over-populated space and to contend for limited resources while trying to keep within the confines of the law.

The scarcity of jobs increases the plight of poverty in many households leaving young people with the responsibility of fending for their siblings.

As a result, we witness on a daily basis the ever-increasing number of young people who get absorbed into the correctional services system.

These places are meant to rehabilitate offenders and give them a chance to turn their lives around.

One such person is who has tried to turn his life around is social entrepreneur, motivational speaker and co-founder of the Still Rise organisation, Mr Solly Mankga, who against all odds, took it upon himself to rise above his difficulties.

While entering the correctional services centre, he had choices to make. He had a choice to submerge into the world of crime or soar through his predicaments.

Mr Solly Mankga said rehabilitation programmes within the system gave him a new lease on life, a need for change and he therefore tried to be a better civilian.

He opted to pursue education, which he perceived as the only thing that could set him free from crime.

“When I entered the system I was about 23 and I only had a grade 10. My first challenge was to disconnect from bad company and take a leap of faith which was a decision to study,” said Mr Mankga.

He said the decision to study put him in a different light to his peers as he was consequently perceived as ibhari (stupid) for immersing himself into books.

Despite these challenges, Mr Mankga worked hard, performed well and eventually obtained a grade 12 certificate from Umalusi.

“After that I decided to further my studies while still in jail. I acquired a three year National Diploma in human resource management,” said Mr Mankga.

Mr Mankga’s academic ambitions had become an ascending journey as he continued to collect all sorts of certifications in different faculties.

He later joined the University of South Africa where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy, politics and economics.

“Studying has transformed my whole mindset. Now it is easier for me to understand concepts, processes and procedures in various aspects of life,” said Mr Mankga.

Soon after leaving the correctional services he embarked on public speaking in schools, churches and government departments.

“The response has always been positive and it encouraged me to keep pushing on in changing people’s lives.”

Mr Mankga joined forces with Mr Price Msiza to establish Still Rise, which seeks to identify problems that cause ex-offenders to relapse and become repeat offenders.

Still Rise has assisted in the reintegration of ex-offenders back into society.

He said failure to be accepted back into society is one of the factors that makes ex-offenders relapse.

“Among other factors is a failure to secure employment as a result of criminal records. We also facilitate discussions between ex-offenders and their victims to bring about forgiveness and closure to the victims’ pain,” said Mr Mankga.

He said a positive outcome of such discussions is a music collaboration between an ex-offender and his female victim, where they released a full album on forgiving and forgetting.

He outlined Still Rise services and mandate as:

1. Reintegrating ex-offenders back into the society.

2. Facilitating Victim Offender Dialogue which is aimed at facilitating a healing process for the victim.

3. Doing community outreach programmes such as school visits and motivational talks.

4. Organising of business expos to discourage young people from resorting to crime and tp be reliant on their skills or business acumen.

5. Doing prison visits to teach inmates entrepreneurial skills. The aim is to give inmates skills they can use to survive when they leave prison and avoid relapsing due to being unemployable because their criminal records.