Morapedi: there is life after prison

ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer | Monday August 13, 2012 00:00

The difference, however, was that Morapedi was behind bars for armed robbery for which he was convicted and sentenced to 38 years in 1993.  He was 29-years-old. On the other hand, Mandela was jailed for his opposition to the inhuman apartheid system that was practiced by white settlers in South Africa, who made blacks second-class citizens while whites had all the benefits. Mandela went on to become South Africa's first black president in a new democratic dispensation after the apartheid system was ignominiously confined to the history dustbin.Morapedi has President Ian Khama to thank for granting him parole that cleared the 11 remaining years and he immediately embarked on turning a new leaf with his life.

And his efforts appear to be bearing fruits, as he is surely climbing the entrepreneurial ladder to success and is an envied member of the society. The message he now imparts to convicts is that the best time to reform is when one is still in prison and that faith in God made him the person he is today. 'Acceptance of who you are and willingness to graduate from your anti-social ways enables one to reach greater heights.  'The community here has accepted me and I am not embarrassed to declare that I am an ex- prisoner,' he said.   

Upon his release from jail, Morapedi who originates from Machaneng in Tswapong South defied the stigma, discrimination and furtive glances that have broken the spirits of people of his kind. Ex-prisoners are treated with disdain, called names like 'jailbird' and sometimes deemed to be dangerous to the society. Not Morapedi who simply threw caution to the wind and got busy turning over a new leaf.Through the Botswana Prisons rehabilitation programmes, he acquired immense vocational training while he was inside. With the skills he acquired, he was able to showcase his products at this year's International Trade Fair in Gaborone.

'Upon my conviction I realised that there were a lot of rehabilitation programmes that one could participate in.'Hence I enrolled for my primary education and wrote Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in 1998, then I sat for my junior certificate (JC) in 2002 and finally I sat for my Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) in 2005,' he said. Morapedi would then enroll for a certificate in Small Scale and Business Management from 2006 to 2007 still inside prison through Botswana College of Distance and Open Learning (BOCODOL). Upon acquisition of the certificate he proceeded to do a diploma of the same course from 2008 to 2010.

'I then started writing letters to the then president Festus Mogae seeking to be considered for parole but I could not get any response. I did not give up until Khama became the president,' he said. In response to his application, in March 2010, he was called to the President's office where he was told the good news that his parole application had become successful. He said he became successful because the president took into consideration the skills he acquired. The skills also demonstrated prospects of employment creation to other Batswana as well as the fact that he had been fully rehabilitated from his past life to that of an accountable member of the society.'I told him about my intention to set up small businesses to make a living and he advised me to inform him whenever I encountered incidences of discrimination and sidelining from accessing financial services on account of my being an ex-convict,' he added.  He said unfortunately he was discriminated against and could not get any financial assistance and now that he has already been released from prison it was very difficult for him to meet with Khama. He then resorted to joining the masses of unemployed in the job market.

'I lost many employment opportunities on account of my being an ex-convict because I openly declared it to potential employers,' he said citing one prominent security company that out-rightly turned him down. Morapedi then became self-employed by carrying out casual work like weeding people's yard and upholstery work to raise money to buy equipment for his desired upholstery business. 'Through these casual jobs I managed to raise money enough for my first machine. I have four fully operational machines today. ' I have also opened a small general dealer here in Machaneng and the council gave me commercial licenses because when I applied I also told them about my condition.

'I also have a tax clearance certificate so I pay tax to government coffers,' he said.After making an impressive job in one upholstery tender, he borrowed the chairs he had covered to exhibit them during the trade fair in Gaborone. That is where he managed to see President Khama while he (Khama) was touring stalls.  When the President arrived at his stall, he had an opportunity to tell him that he was facing difficulties in accessing financial services.  'As we speak I have completed all necessary requirements with Citizen Economic Development Agency, through a consultant in Mahalapye who offered to assist me and I am waiting for funding in two week's time,' he added. 

Morapedi now prides himself with the fact that he has created employment to four members of the society- security guards, one at the general dealer and two at the upholstery business and he is the supervisor. He said the challenge he is now facing is that he does not have enough money for raw materials for his upholstery business. During a Kgotla meeting that was addressed by the President here last Thursday, Morapedi decried that he is denied an opportunity to address convicts in prison and said the Prisons Department was not keen to assist him to fully establish his upholstery business. He said he has a passion to impart the knowledge he acquired while in prison to his community and said in that way less number of people would be enrolled in the Ipelegeng programme.