S AT U R D AY S TA R

INSIGHT

May 26

2012

15

A NEW BEGINNING
Clarence Ngwako Mohale was convicted of assaulting and raping two women in 2000. In 2004 he left his prison gang and slowly started reforming his life. He finished high school and became a qualified drug counsellor as well as an educator for the adult education programme in prison. He has now been released on parole.

PICTURES: REFILWE MODISE

GRETHE KOEN

HE FIRST time I saw Clarence Mohale was at a prize-giving at Diepkloof Prison. About 200 inmates were receiving certificates from the nonprofit organisation Fear Free Life for completing social and psychological programmes facilitated behind prison walls. As Clarence walked into the yard, unassuming and neatly dressed in a button-up shirt and jeans, at least half of the orangeclad men burst into applause, grinning and waving. Later, as the prize-giving drew to a close amid a blaring kwaito performance by two prisoners, he took the seat next to me. I used to be one of them, he said, nodding towards the inmates. Two months ago I was also wearing orange. Clarences first entrance into Diepkloof (or Sun City prison as it is also known) was hardly as celebratory as the one I had witnessed. He stood accused, with two others, of the rapes of two young women. They were 19 and 20, he was 18. Clarence lived with the two women in the same house. I was in love with one of the girls. She was so beautiful. But she wanted nothing to do with me. She started dating a taxi driver. Clarence was in Alexandra on the day of the rape. Two men had come looking for him, accusing him of stealing a gun. They wanted to fight with me, he says. In an effort to calm them down he took them to a tavern. I took out some money to make them happy . We got drunk. He then took them back to his house. The two men forced the women into a room at gunpoint and raped them. Clarence joined them. Part of me was feeling like I wanted revenge not only on women, on anyone, even men. The women reported the men

A rapists long walk towards the light

Violent crime can haunt both the perpetrator and the victim
the next day Clarence was arrested . and sent to Diepkloof. After two years in the section for people awaiting trial, he was found guilty and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. He entered Sun Citys sentenced section as a scared, angry 21-year-old convinced that his life was over. I felt anger for everyone my stepmother, my father, my uncle none of them came to see me when I was inside. I just thought that whatever is bad in the prison, Im going to do it. If Im going to die, I dont care. Two months into his sentence he joined the notorious 26s gang. I thought if I was not a gangster I would die or get raped because I was young. There are many gangs in Sun City prison, the 26s, 27s, 28s, the Big 5, Airforce Three and Airforce Four. All perform specific functions in the prison, strictly regulated by rank. The 26s primary function is dealing with money They also stab other . inmates and warders. I hear people talking about gangsterism outside, says Clarence. Gangsterism outside and gangsterism inside the prison are very different. Inside its very dangerous, when youre outside you can still run away . During his first year in prison he asked another inmate for a piece of newspaper to roll a dagga zol. The man refused and they started arguing. The man then stabbed Clarence in the shoulder with a sharpened spoon. I didnt go to the hospital, Clarence told me. It is a sign of weakness. We tend our own wounds. Clarence wanted to become a general, the highest rank, in the 26s. He was given a knife to kill another gang member. Gangs do not usually commit violence against each other, but at that time there was war between the 26s and 28s. Although becoming a general would have ensured Clarence influence in the prison, he decided he did not want to stab someone. I thought to myself, if I do this thing I will be stuck in prison for longer. I couldnt go through with it. The 26s punished Clarence by ganging up on him in a cell and beating him, using All Star takkies held by the laces. They beat me 26 times, for the gang number. I still have the scars on my chest today . Clarence clearly remembers the day he decided he had to leave the gang. It was the 23rd of December 2002. I went down the passage. One of our members had stabbed someone. The prison sent in a task force called External A to beat all the 26s. Clarences expression becomes pained. The warder almost beat me to death. They beat us with shock shields. I will never forget that day I . realised Im taking my life down to the river now. I realised if I dont quit gangsterism I was going to die. Clarence slowly started reforming his life. He finished high school and became a qualified drug counsellor as well as an educator for the adult education programme in the prison. He became known for his natural ability as an orator and was soon the master of ceremonies for all the prison events. I won an award for being the best facilitator inside prison, says Clarence. Another pivotal moment came in 2004 when one of the women he had raped came to see him in prison as part of a community and family reintegration programme. She had heard about the good work Clarence had been doing and wanted to see him. I said to her, I dont want to make excuses to you. I admit what I did. I dont expect you to forgive me. But I want to say that Im sorry And . even now, to the community of Tembisa, I want to say Im very sorry for what I did. And it will never happen again, not from me. I will pay back to society I apologise to my family I . . know they may not walk in peace because Ive disgraced them. But Im fighting now with everything that I have to do the right thing. She said to me: There are people who cannot do this (ask for forgiveness), but you did it. I have been looking forward to hearing your apology . The woman accepted Clarences plea for forgiveness, but he hangs his head when he tells the story . When I look back now, thinking about the street, when I remember the faces of those girls When I ask him why he committed rape, he is forthright. I felt inferior. Clarence believes that men rape out of feelings of jealousy inferior, ity or anger. He had been committing crimes from the age of 13 robbery hijack, ing and theft. I grew up with anger inside of me. People might think thats an excuse. My mom left me when I was four and I lived with my grandmother. She was on a pension. It was tough no school shoes, no food. My dad was living with my stepmother. She used to tell me I was a son of a bitch. In 2009, Clarence joined Fear Free Life, a Christian organisation founded by inmates in Kutama Sinthumule prison in 2004. The organisation comprises offenders and former offenders and facilitates moral and psychological programmes intended to help the rehabilitation of inmates and fight gangsterism. Parole officers take account of

Im fighting now with everything I have to do the right thing

He quit the 26s in 2004. I cried that day It was not easy They have . . the saying E loku ngena la phela, e loku phuna alikho, which means there is a way in, but no way out. If you become a gangster, the only way out is death. But I had to tell myself I have to do this. When I walked through the passages I had to check my back, people wanted to stab me. They were scared I would give out information about what they were doing. But I told myself I have to do this because Im doing it for no one but myself, I will die for this.

classes completed through Fear Free Life. Clarence worked as a volunteer and quickly became known as one of the prisons best motivational speakers. I spoke in front of a thousand inmates about being an ex-gang member. Due to his work for Fear Free Life and as a drug counsellor, Clarence was freed on parole on March 28. He had served 10 years. Mpho Kolisang, managing director of Fear Free Life, believes that Clarence has shown a great deal of endurance. For a person who just came out of prison hes experiencing things differently now. He has changed. The world outside is cruel for people coming out. But he is very determined, thats why he has managed not to go back into gangsterism. Clarence is entering an economy where thousands of people who do not have criminal records struggle to find employment. Although he faces an arduous struggle to rebuild his life, he has hope. I am not afraid of telling people I was a criminal. If I get a job interview I will tell them, Im from prison, if you decide not to employ me thats fine. But Im from prison and you must know that. Clarence wants to register as a motivational speaker so that he can address the youth about the horrors of prison and the futility of a life of crime. I want to warn the young people of South Africa who are thinking of committing crime: prison is not a nice place. You lose everything. Clarence wrote a book while in prison called The Stepping Stones to Success, which he hopes to have published. It details his life of crime and redemption. When I walk around the street people see me and say h, he was a ,A prisoner. They dont believe you can do anything but crime. But Im telling you, watch this space. Grethe is a journalist at the Wits Justice Project, which investigates alleged miscarriages of justice.

If a presidents portrait is hung should the artist be hanged?

A
S THE fury over The Spear painting grows, Brett Murray has been hounded by journalists on a soundbyte mission. He has managed to evade most of them. However, we convinced the artist whose painting has touched the president on his studio and inspired this crossword clue Um, a SA prez may be well hung (4, 5)* to answer our questions. Brett, the Zuma Spear may be a painting, but is it art? Art? Absolutely not. I love Bridge over Troubled Water, and anyone who thinks I would paint my favourite singers schlong can Garfunkel themselves. Besides its clear that the man in The Spear is the prez. Youve received flak from many quarters but where has the worst hate come from? From satirists and lampoonists who think Ive pushed the spoof envelope so far I could get a job with the post office. Zapiro told me hes throwing his pen away because anything he comes up with now will be limp. So, who actually bought the painting? I promised not to reveal his identity but contrary to media reports the buyer is not a European penis art collector. What I can say is that the buyers name starts with a J and ends with an Uliusmalema. He told me he cant wait to nail Zuma to the wall and hang him out to dry The buyer is my biggest sup. porter and has offered to bail me out should people decide to Kill the Artist for Zuma. Its good to know a used condom has my back.

ANGRY UTTERANCES (10)

JONATHAN ANCER
What do you think of calls for you to be stoned? Its insulting. I have spoken to lawyers about the possibility of suing. The stereotype that all artists are dagga rookers is unfair. Sure, some smoke weed occasionally but its not right to, um, paint all artists

with the same brush. Whats your response to the presidents accusation that you made him look like a philanderer? All I did was paint the Honourable Members not-so-honourable member. He has had it out so often that Im surprised more people havent seen it. Besides, politicians do most of their talking from their underpants and I wanted to give an accurate representation of this. What right do you have to bring the presidents private

parts into the public domain? I used the presidents pubic affairs to prick a nations consciousness. What do you think of The Spear now it has been defaced? I think youll find the technical term is dedicked. Im not sure why the president is going after me. If anyone he should sue the vandals. I depicted him in all his glory and their Jackson-Pollock-style collaboration has castrated him. At least the Vatican had the decency to use over-sized fig leaves when they went

after Michelangelos phalanx of phalluses. Whats next for Brett Murray? Ill stick with penis art until this storm in a JZ Y-front blows over. Ive been commissioned to do portraits of Dick Cheney Dick Nixon, the two , Willies (Clinton and Nelson), LB Johnson, the Dick of Edinburgh and Dickgang Moseneke. Ill have my hands full for a while. After all, the world is full of dicks. * ZUMA SPEAR: an anagram of um a SA Prez (may be is the anagram indicator).