February 10, 2005
By Tammy O'Reilly
THERE is no doubt life behind bars is tough, but for many prisoners facing the prospect of release, re-integrating themselves into society is far more daunting.
For eight years, The Mount Zion Baptist Church in Hillbrow has been offering a lifeline to prisoners at Leeuwkop Prison who are getting ready for freedom.
Through a rehabilitation programme it runs, prisoners not only are given essential spiritual guidance, but are encouraged to explore any skills they may have, using them for their own financial benefit.
Once every two weeks part-time chaplains and priests from the Mount Zion Church visit the Leeuwkop and Pretoria prisons. They hold prayer services and religious lesson, keeping an eye out for suitable inmates for their rehabilitation programme.
Rehabilitation doesn't happen overnight though, and the church ideally chooses prisoners who have at least five years of their sentence to serve. "Preparation is intense and we need to spend a lot of time with the prisoners. We look out for prisoners who show initiative, ones who are spiritually and socially strong," says Ed Thomas, a part-time chaplain to Leeuwkop Prison.
"Working one's way back into society is absolutely difficult for prisoners. Some of them are scared to death of the real world."
To illustrate his point, Thomas speaks about a prisoner who was serving the last week of his sentence. He was well liked by the wardens, popular with the inmates and his behaviour was impeccable. But leaving prison was too overwhelming for him, and the night before his release he broke into the warden's quarters, removed a hi-fi and sat with it on the front step, waiting for someone to re-arrest him.
"He committed another crime just so that he didn't have to leave. If that doesn't give you an indication of the plight of these prisoners, then I don't know what will," says Thomas.
There are no specific criteria to look at when deciding which prisoner to rehabilitate either, says Thomas. "We go on our gut feel, we look for people who express a desire to commit themselves to God and to change within."
Once the prisoner dedicates himself to change and accepts the help that is offered he goes through an eight-module certificate course in theology, evaluated informally by the University of Bloemfontein.
Opposite Joubert Park, on the corner of Edith Cavell and Wolmarans streets, the church serves as a half-way house for prisoners who have just been released and as a permanent home for some who have successfully completed the rehabilitation programme.
From the outside, it is hard to imagine that behind the walls is a crèche, a gym, 20 homes, kitchens, basements, wash areas, spare rooms and wood and steel workshops run by ex-prisoners.
Four ex-prisoners who have been successfully rehabilitated and who, in turn, help other ex-prisoners who come in manage it.
Only a lucky few ex-prisoners go on to find jobs and to uphold the personal changes they have made. It is common for them to be shunned by society and their families, and statistics show that for every ten prisoners released, more than five are back in prison within 18 months.
"Furthermore," says Thomas, "the formal sector views prison records in an extremely negative light, to the point of virtual total exclusion from the economy."
Patrick Mabaso, a successfully rehabilitated prisoner and the founder and manager of the reupholstery project at the church, is a prime example. He said goodbye to his cellmates at Leeukop Prison in 1998, believing he was closing a dark chapter in his life for good after he had served 10 years of his 12-year sentence - he was released early because of exemplary behaviour. He turned to Christianity and resolved to become a morally upright citizen.
Adding the finishing touches to a newly covered sofa
He was trained as a security guard and was employed at the Central Wits Health regional office in Parktown. Although he was a responsible and committed worker, his services were terminated when his criminal record came to light.
So he took on the reupholstery project, making use of some of the skills he learned in prison. "Everyone likes to have nice furniture. We collect old, torn sofas and recover them, but soon we will be making our own sofas from scratch," he says.
He also operates a gym from the church for residents of Hillbrow to use. Some of the equipment looks battered and out of date, but most is still in working order. "It doesn't matter that all the machines are so old. They still work and it gives the youth something to do after school. It keeps them out of trouble," says Mabaso, who also trains young people who are interested in boxing.
He is one of a group four ex-prisoners who have been affectionately labelled the "Mavericks" for the help they have given to others who come to the church. The Mavericks - Mabaso, Thomas Maswanganyi, David Nkoane and Micheal Bulwana - also have become popular among the people of Hillbrow.
Between them they have taken on a heap of responsibilities; they often take turns to preach at services, manage the administration of the church and levies received from the crèche and tenants, make and sell cupboards and steel furniture, and run a four-times-a-week feeding scheme.
"We used to feed people everyday but we found that many were coming here just for the food, they didn't want to listen to us preach," says Maswanganyi. "Now, we feed them directly after the services, which are held four times a week. Whoever is hungry has to first listen to the word of God, and then fill their stomachs."
Sponsorship for the feeding scheme is also scarce: "It's not that there are only 100 hungry people in Hillbrow, it's just that we have few sponsors," Thomas says.
It is not just funding for the feeding scheme the church is having difficulty with, however. "Our electricity and water bills are high. We have 20 families living here and we only charge them enough to cover council bills, " he says. "There are other overheads that we need to consider. We are a non-governmental organisation so we need all the support we can get."
For more information contact Ed Thomas on 072 426 8533.
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