Ex-cons reveal criminals� deep secrets
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday September 5, 2017 14:58
Sebataladi Baakanyang was speaking at a campaign against murder, rape, drugs and alcohol abuse, held in Old Naledi Shopping Complex.
Baakanyang said criminals commit serious crimes and when given bail, they take advantage of their time out to commit even more crimes in a bid to delay conviction.
“We have taught them those ‘justice delay and justice deny’ tactics,” he said at an event organised by Old Naledi local authorities on Saturday.
In the company of another ex-convict Gabaresepe Belebese, the duo shared their stories about what it was like for them to transition from life behind bars to life outside jail.
The duo was born and raised in Old Naledi. They urged the youth in the area to stay away from crime. Old Naledi is known to be a beehive of crimes, both serious and petty like murder, rape, assault and others.
Belebese told the gathering that he was raised by a single mother in a very poor and unstable home.
“I engaged in crime at a young age. I was constantly in and out of prison. I would steal and kill without remorse for survival. I was one of the notorious criminals in Old Naledi. Things changed when I was arrested for robbery. Robbery was my ticket to fast cash,” he said.
Belebese also known as ‘Block’ said he was arrested for robbing Trans Africa in Tsabong. He said he realised that crime did not pay because he had no one to visit him in prison. Life outside prison was not pleasant either and when he got out he had no possessions.
“My car was beyond repair. I had nothing. I had been engaged in criminal acts for years only to find that everything I gathered from stealing was gone.
That is when I realised that crime does not pay. I introspected and decided to refrain from crime,” he said.
Belebese said he was fortunate to get a job as a supervisor at a trucking company.
He further called on young men to stop passion killings saying that if their partners were no longer interested in relationships, they must let them go.
Baakanyang told the youth that prison life was not fun.
“Please do not follow our footsteps. Prison criminal life is not fun. It brings pain and sorrow. At prison, there is punishment known as solitary confinement.
It is a very painful experience one could ever have,” he said.
Old Naledi Clinic nurse, Agnes Motswaledi expressed great concern over assault and bodily harm cases they receive at the clinic. She said they assisted 17 stab victims in one week last month.
“We had four stabbing patients in our clinic last night. All these cases are a result of alcohol abuse. These stabbings are made of different sharp objects such as knives, bottles and stones,” she said.
Old Naledi station commander, Superintendent King Tshebo said they have registered 11 robbery cases where suspects were in possession of Okapi knives, five murders, eight rapes, 16 stabbings and 43 fight cases attributed to drug and alcohol abuse this year.
He urged Old Naledi community to assist in building and preserving the area to turn it into a better and desirable place.