Cape Town - With his suburb in the grip of a bloody gang war, a Manenberg student has managed to transcend his circumstances to graduate this week.
The suburb has been wracked by gang violence, which has left at least 14 people dead since the start of the month.
Despite this, Ashraf Arendse is graduating with an honours degree in social work from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) on Friday.
And his is not the only story of triumph. Jillian Hill will have her PhD in public health conferred on her on Friday.
She pursued that particular field because of the need she saw in Bonteheuwel, from where she originates. The suburb has also experienced daily shootings between rival gangs.
Arendse hopes to use his qualification to empower others in his community who are trapped by social ills that drive gangsterism.
For two weeks a trail of bodies has been left in the wake of a gang war in Manenberg. Reports of similar incidents in disadvantaged communities on the Cape Flats have also made headlines.
It has prompted Western Cape police commissioner Major-General Khombinkosi Jula to rethink police strategies in tackling gang violence and redeploying Operation Combat members to their respective precincts to assist.
Arendse, 24, is the youngest of six children and the first to graduate.
“I am passionate about investigating the trauma faced by disadvantaged communities, not only in Manenberg but on the entire Cape Flats,” he said.
His dream is to specialise in forensic social working to investigate cases of rape.
“I am doing my Masters degree. My dissertation will focus on the perception of prison gangs on child sex offenders.
“The crime statistics released by police for the April 2014 and March 2015 financial year, presented that 53 617 sexual crime cases were reported – what about the others that have not been reported?”
Arendse became an activist in Grade 8 at Silverstream High School in 2005. He had helped establish local NGO, Proudly Manenberg.
“Of the sessions I attended, people highlighted the abnormalities within the community I initially thought were normal. I was introduced to community leaders and that was where my community reaches expanded and my passion grew,” he said.
Arendse was often forced to stay over with relatives or friends on campus because the gang warfare made it unsafe for him to travel to university.
“I wanted to show people they can do anything they aspire to. I would like people to understand the term ‘subjective poverty’, a term used by sociologists, which in essence means that poverty and being poor is only a reality if we believe and are led to believe that we are poor.
“Yes, economic and social deprivation is a reality for us and, for this reason, we should strive and work even harder and create our own opportunities. What we will find then is that we become competitive with those who were born with a golden spoon in their mouths.
“Growing up on the Cape Flats and coming from broken families is hard and tough, but one thing the Almighty gave us was the ability to have a choice and this is what makes humans special. So use your ability to make sound choices in your own development and not by measuring yourself against others. Rather compete with yourself in order to better your downfalls and weaknesses.
“Yes, we are products of our society, but we have a choice to choose what values and principles we want to adopt. Do not let society define who you are, rather choose how you want to define society.”
A graduate from Hanover Park, another area torn apart by gangsterism, hopes to join the National Prosecuting Authority. UWC law masters student Carol Williams, 22, would like to assess what policies law makers could amend to assist the poor, homeless and victims of crime.
“It has been a wonderful journey up to this point. It has been tough, taxing and sometimes overwhelming, but through the support systems in place and my ability to see beyond my circumstance, I was able to stand on that stage and receive my degree cum laude,” she said.
Williams was awarded a full scholarship to pursue a Masters degree as part of an international programme, in conjunction with a German university, that would allow students to meet the judges of the International Criminal Court.
Graduating with Williams was Dale Hendricks, from Manenberg. The 22-year-old said he had experienced crime growing up, which motivated him to pursue a career in State prosecution.
“I am going to study my Masters in criminal justice next year and try to bring change,” he said.
Hill, a 33-year-old mother originally from Bonteheuwel, said she was proud that after Friday she would be referred to as “doctor”. She works for the South African Medical Research Council, where her team explores research that will help improve people’s lifestyles.
“I saw the need for role models in my community and, many times, on social networks, people say that the only role models children are exposed to are the gangsters who reflect a violent society. They see them as the only people with money, and that should not be.
“If I could manage my PhD, anyone can. It was hard, there were sacrifices, I went to all the local schools, but I pushed myself and realised success,” Hill said.
Cape Argus