Prisoners understand Mandela’s struggles behind bars
Three local inmates talk about what Mandela's legacy mean to them and how it gives them hope
Three of the prisoners incarcerated at the Krugersdorp Correctional Service (prison) look up to former president Nelson Mandela, who was also imprisoned before he came to power, and after years in prison themselves, they understand his struggles.
The prisoners, who grew up knowing about Mandela and his life in prison, didn’t understand why he didn’t want to fight a war against his oppressors after he was released; but now they understand what he went through.
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Thusyaone Letsholo is behind bars because of murder. He said that Mandela was Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Mahatma Ghandi all rolled into one single person.
“When Mandela was released from prison, we thought he would ask us to fight, but instead he preached forgiveness. He didn’t believe in revenge, he didn’t believe in dividing people – no, he believed that we need each other and we need to work together to be able to achieve anything. We need more Mandelas now than we have ever needed before,” he said.
Thulani Mbanjwa stabbed a man to death and is now serving time for his crime. He said that if it wasn’t for the previous period of oppression he might not have been in the circumstances he now finds himself in. But despite this, he still believes that everyone deserves a second chance, because of Mandela’s teachings.
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“Mandela believed in a non-racial, free for all, world. He believed in individuals, that individuals had the ability to change the world and that there were opportunities for every single person to change the world. He wanted to boost the government and free the economy. He also said that there is a little bit of freedom behind bars – mental freedom where you can learn exactly who you are. He was an ex-offender who became a hero, and that in itself gives me hope. That is also why I’m learning to speak Afrikaans – to understand the oppressors and learn how to forgive them,” said Thulani.
Kenneth Twala was a robber and believes that if he had had better role models like Mandela, he would have been a much better person. “Mandela was a role model for the entire world. The things he taught human beings about themselves are part of why South Africa healed itself. Until the day he died, he believed that education was freedom. He was a leader and his leadership taught South Africans that they don’t need to be in a group or gang to be relevant. Your fame could be in your own family, where you are a role model for the youngsters or a father for your own children. He also showed that older people know the right way of living and that they should be respected and awed. He showed us that the older we get, the more responsibility we have. We become coaches to the youth and we should work with them for a better future, because at the end of the day, that’s all we leave behind on this earth,” said Kenneth.
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The prisoners agreed that Mandela’s time in prison healed him and made him a better person. They say the fact that his freedom turned into his legacy is what gives them all hope. “And hope is the only thing that keeps us alive in here,” said Thulani.
“We changed because we know the world will never change.”
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