The first thing convicted murderer Jacob Humphreys did after his release from Pollsmoor was hug his two-year-old grandson.
“I missed him very much. When I got home, he was lying on the bed sleeping so I woke him up and held him,” he said holding back tears.
The Daily Voice visited the 56-year-old taxi driver at his Eersterivier home on Wednesday after his bail was re-instated on Tuesday.
It was a welcome surprise for the man convicted of the murders of 10 children after he drove their taxi through lowered railway booms into the path of an oncoming train.
When asked how he’s doing, he promptly replied: “Baie goed deur die genade van die Here, want sonder Hom is ons niks (Very well by the grace of God, without Him we are nothing).”
Comfortably dressed in bright green takkies, track pants and T-shirt, Humphreys went about sweeping his makeshift tuck shop in his garage and chatted to neighbours.
“The Lord knew I had to be home with my family for Christmas,” he said.
“God sent me to Pollsmoor. He knew why He sent me there and He sent me back home.
“I didn’t know that I was going to come home until one of the inmates told me they saw it on TV.
“They were very happy for me and wished me well.
“When I left, it was like the gates opened up for me, die gang was vol mense en hulle was almal bly vir my (the corridor was full of people and they were glad for me).”
When asked if he had any regrets after the tragedy, Humphreys replied: “It’s just God who can comfort people.”
“If (the victims’ parents) serve the same God as I do they will know that only He can give you love, comfort you when need to go on. But if they don’t serve that God, then I don’t know where they will end up.
“I am like this, at ease, only by the grace and the love of God.”
Humphreys said he had not apologised to the families because of his strict bail conditions.
“How can I apologise if my bail conditions says I can’t make contact with the family?” he asked.
“As I said in court, those children were like my own kids and I will never, ever, ever do anything to hurt them.
“(But) I am very, very, very sorry about what happened.
“God alone knows what happened and I’m not going to question or talk about it.
“The Lord has transformed me into a person I never knew I could be.”
When asked to describe himself, he proudly said he was a very humble man and a strict father.
“My kids know they must do only what’s right and to always speak the truth,” he said.
“I don’t want to see them end up in prison.”
On his time spent in prison, he says: “In the beginning it was difficult to handle and I was scared but then I realised that I’m here and I must make the best of it. But I was happy there.
“I was put there not knowing why I was put there. A man like me - a good, humble man like me who works in the community. But the Lord brought me here and only He knows why He put me here.
“I don’t think about my sentencing (in February), I leave that in God’s hands. I believe He will do in February what He did for me (Tuesday). I’m not worried about anything.”
Humphreys said he planned to have a quiet Christmas was his family.
“I am going to church on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. That will be my way of thanking God for what he has done for me,” he explained.
“The rest of the day I will spend with my wife and children and maybe visit our other family.
“I believe that (the 10 children) are with God and He used me to get them to Him.
“If I must go back to prison, I will not question it.
“(The accident) was God’s plan, I didn’t do it.
“I will never ever in my life want to harm those children who I took as my own. Why would I, when I have four children and seven grandchildren of my own?” he said.
His 25-year-old daughter, Alena, who at first refused to speak to the Daily Voice, said she plans to make the best of this Christmas.
“We don’t want to think about any negativity because this could be our last Christmas with our father,” she said.
At the end of the interview, Humphreys walked to the door to see th Daily Voice reporters out, and before turning to chat to a neighbour there to welcome him home, he said: “Go well and drive safe.” - Daily Voice