Slotting back into productive life after prison

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Pretoria - Sibusiso Blom from Alexander served 12 years for armed robbery and while in prison he invested his time in education.

Today, the 37-year-old works for a manufacturing company and is a perfect example that there is life after prison. Blom and his business partner, Thabang Makgabo, were among a group of former offenders attending an ex-offender entrepreneur session at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre yesterday. They went to encourage inmates to make use of available business opportunities as part of improving their reintegration back into society. During the session, motivational speakers, Department of Correctional Services officials and members of the Still Rise ex-offenders organisation passed on the message to never to give up as there was life after prison. Business owners also attended and exhibited their work, which created an opportunity for ex-offenders to interact. Still Rise is aimed at improving the reintegration of former offenders back into society.

After his release last year, Blom said he needed to put to good use what he had learned while at Leeuwkop prison.

He said starting his own business was not easy, but possible after Solly Mankga, the founder of Still Rise, hooked him up with Makgabo, who owns a manufacturing company, called Fratelli Events.

“While in prison I decided to invest my time in education and empower myself. I studied human resource management, which I got a diploma in, and I also obtained a BCom in tourism management.

“Because I looked at who I am, the stigma I would be carrying when I got out and understood it would not be easy to get a job, I told myself to put whatever I learned to good use,” he said.

His partner said he found working with Blom less stressful.

“I’m manufacturing couches and chairs.

“Sibusiso volunteered to help me and our partnership started last year. The business is doing so well because working with someone who has seen it all, knows wrong and right and is eager in life makes things very much easier than with a person who is just taking chances.

“Sibusiso is a hard worker and gives his all, simply because he wants to be somewhere in life.”

Julia Mashele, 60, regarded as South Africa’s longest-serving female, awaiting-trial prisoner, was one of the motivational speakers.

Mashele was arrested in May 1993 and kept in prison for seven years, until May 2000 when she was acquitted on all 32 charges against her.

Today she is the author of 10 books, one of them titled, Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied.

She also had to start from scratch when she came out of prison as she had lost everything.

“When I got out in 2000 I had lost everything - house, businesses, my husband and my three sons.

“I started from scratch, I started an NGO where I house parolees who have been rejected by their families. I also have a farm in Soshanguve where I teach them how to bake bread.”

Mashele, founder of Still Rise, said the event was meant to inspire ex-offenders.

“Today’s event aims to inspire. These ex-offenders will see that people who have similar backgrounds to theirs are doing amazing things, like starting their own businesses.

“The fact that the community came here today means they are willing to accept them, of course only if you can show the signs of change.

“Also it means people are willing to work with them.

“The exhibitions here today are not theory but practical so these are things they can do,” Mashele said.

Lathitha Chillies, which specialises in the agro-processing, in Atteridgeville of chillies into pickled chillies and dry chillies, said that they were looking to expand their business and were interested in employing former offenders as they believed they deserved a second chance.

Pretoria News