Durban - When her teenage son was convicted of robbery in 2013, a Clermont mother thought that would be the end of him.
But, barely two years later, Bonisiwe Ngwenya believes his incarceration was a blessing in disguise.
Ngwenya’s son, Njabulo Gumede has achieved the highest matric pass among offenders in correctional facilities around the country.
“He had failed matric before, he didn’t even write all his subjects. He didn’t care. I thought in jail, people got more hardened and I felt like even when he came out he would be worse, but I now see jail helped him focus on his education and what was important in life,” Ngwenya said.
Gumede, 22, was one of 34 offenders who wrote matric at Usethubeni Youth School in Westville Prison.
With a pass rate of 76.4 percent, of the 26 who were successful, 10 achieved bachelor passes. This may increase as six offenders are expected to write supplementary exams in March.
A teary-eyed Ngwenya thanked the teachers at Usethubeni for being parents to her son when she had just about given up on him.
“Even when I was dragging my feet, they encouraged me to keep supporting him and now he is an example to others,” she said.
Gumede said it was also his wish to motivate others and show that life did not end in prison.
He plans to pursue a career in accountancy and continue making his mother proud.
Gumede flew to Cape Town on Wednesday for the official announcement of the results by Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Michael Masutha.
With him was S’bonelo Maphumulo, who achieved second place nationally. Also 22 years old, Maphumulo was sentenced to eight years in prison for rape.
His grandparents Meshack Ndabandaba and Fikile Mngadi of oThongathi (Tongaat) attended the ceremony in Westville Prison on Thursday
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Ndabandaba said he was proud of his grandson because he had never given up hope that Maphumulo would live up to his late parents’ expectations of matriculating and going to university one day. “We are so happy. This is the grandson we know,” Ndabandaba said.
Coming in at third place in KZN and 5th place nationally, Siyabonga Sokhabase received his results statement in civilian clothes because he is out on parole.
Siyabonga, of Inanda, had gone from first place in his Grade 11 class to an offender sentenced to five years in prison for robbery in one year.
“I had a supportive and loving family who took care of me but I wanted to be the man, wear the latest label clothes and shoes,” he said.
At the age of just 16, Siyabonga was convicted and the trauma of being incarcerated set him straight.
“I had a chance to get out on parole in 2013 but I refused because I wanted to finish my matric.
“I wanted to go out with something in my hand to help me start a clean life,” he said.
Riding on the success of the class of 2014, correctional services regional commissioner Mnikelwa Nxele declared 2015 as the year Usethubeni would reclaim a 100 percent pass rate.
“In three of the 10 years since it became a full-time school, Usethubeni achieved 100 percent pass. This year we are going back to that,” he said.
Nxele praised the matriculants for “refusing to be discouraged by the circumstance of being in prison” and urged them to be excited about the future along the new path they had carved for themselves.
He also thanked the teachers of Usethubeni for giving young offenders a chance.
Principal Dominique Zulu also thanked his staff as well as the pupils for their performance, which he said showed that the teachers were doing their jobs.
“Starting this school was very difficult; people said we were not genuine teachers, they said the qualifications you would receive here were only good in jail, but they are the same as all other matric certificates.
“You stuck with it, climbed to the top of the tree, step by step,” he said.
Daily News