INLSA
FILE PICTURE
Collin Mbanjwa doubts that he would now be a second-year Master’s student had he not been jailed more than a decade ago. For the former “professional criminal”, an existence “on the outside”, beyond the walls of Westville Prison, posed “too many disruptions”.
Convicted of murder and robbery, and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2001, Mbanjwa then had only a matric certificate to his name.
As part of his rehabilitation, which included reconciling with his victim’s family, he pursued a BA through Unisa, majoring in adult education.
Yesterday, Mbanjwa was recognised as one of the prison’s top students at a ceremony held by the provincial Correctional Services Department and the Education Department.
Mbanjwa, 40, who has also studied Islamic law through the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said he had learnt that “you won’t get anywhere in life without hard work”.
With his sentence reduced to 13 years, he’d like to get into community development once free, but realises that a criminal record will only impede his chances of employment.
For fellow inmate Renisha Pillay, studying has both fed her ambition and been a way to help pass the time.
Murder
At 38, the diminutive aspiring caterer still looks like the 23-year-old who began a life sentence for the murder of her husband 15 years ago.
“You occupy yourself with everything they have to offer,” she said. Pillay, who has a Master’s degree in theology, was singled out yesterday for achieving multiple distinctions in the national certificate for hospitality.
Admitting that she had made the “wrong” life decisions, the mother of one hopes to qualify for parole next year.
At the prize-giving, provincial education head of department Nkosinathi Sishi expressed his gratitude to the tutors who made access to learning possible for the inmates. One such tutor is Buhle Mkhondo, 26, who teaches economics to a class of 20 women prisoners.
“I’m just like any other teacher. I have a classroom with stuff on the walls, I carry my chalk, we have a library and computers. But sometimes I’m also a mother and a counsellor,” she said.
Mkhondo added that her students, who range from 19 to 52, were “very intelligent” and still giggled about boys.
“We have had problems with attendance, but when we got two male teachers, class was full again,” Mkhondo laughs.
“Most of them have been born again,” she adds. “They are just normal people.”
