We had a chat with Moloi Makaota, a young man in his teenage years, born in Monyakeng from a respectable family of 6 with both parents as pastors. He started schooling at Tataiso Primary school and then did his grade 8 in Monyakeng High where he parted ways with schooling. He later fell into gangsterism and became a menace, let’s unfold the events.
Where did all this start?
Domestic violence from my mom and dad, I was raised in a very respectable and humble family but things took a rough turn when my parents started fighting a lot in front of us. I decided to quit school because I told myself that I do not want to see my mother dead. One day a friend of mine found me at the corner, asked me if I drink alcohol so that we could go get wasted and then I said yes, even though at that time I knew nothing about the taste of alcohol. Both my parents decided to part ways, mom went to Sporong section in Monyakeng to live there and then dad went to Bloemhof, they completely forgot about me and my brother. It was a painful experience because in terms of food and cosmetics, we needed to have cash. But it all started when I first agreed to have my sip of alcohol, the guy asked me the following day if I needed cash, I did and from there my home ultimately became a house were all the bad things were made, we stole peoples herds, we stole many things, I did many bad things in the society during that time.
How did you survive?
I committed crime, that’s how I survived, used to steal a lot to get by.
Is there any memorable crime that you are disappointed of?
One day coming from the tavern we walked behind two people, a girl and a guy, we went to their house, they locked all doors, did everything well but, we ultimately woke them up with a steel bar standing near their bed demanding cash. At one point, the guy lit his phone and saw our faces. When I came from prison I went back to him and asked for forgiveness because it was eating me inside through my sentence.
How did you get arrested and how long was it?
We made a burglary and we were arrested in Welkom. The orchestrator of all these major crimes avoided the prison sentence and he was a grown up father who recruited us. We were working for him, we even went to Lesotho through the river while he went through the border and we walked for two days till we reached Maquard. With two R1.20 Russian sausages and a loaf of bread per person. It was very painful but at that time I never saw all this, I was just happy that I ultimately was going to have cash. Your life before and after prison Before prison life was good through those crimes. The twist about prison is that, you would only be happy for at least 3 days in prison then the rest of the days were painful, you would go to the gym and when you start exercising they would end up stopping you. The food is bad and the gangsters always fight, when the warders come, they just hit all of you. The fights never end, once you get in a quarrel with someone you might end up dead, that place is full of evil. TV is switched off when the soapies or whatever you are watching becomes interesting.
Little boys are fed the thing that prison is good, what do you say?
That place is a “NO-GO”. I would never ever go there in my life again. I wish it upon no one. That is not a place for a human being. When your parents choose your friends for you be thankful, friends are deceptive and in life there are two paths, so you should look at what is good and leave everything that is not good. I met different people in prison and started associating myself with people who had a vision and a will to do good. You do find different types of people inside prison, the ones that wanted to change when they go out of prison and the other ones who get even bitter to go commit other crimes again.
What was prisons’ impact in your life?
I took four years and 8 months there were some anger management courses inside prison. I went there and I realised that I had a lot of anger and I was taught on how to deal with it. I came from prison as a rehabilitated soul. I now commit myself to making sure that no black child sees the gates of prison or stands behind those steel bars within my watch. I have opened up an organisation called Green Pastures Youth Organisation, we encourage kids to go back to school despite what is happening inside the family, we can be called if a child is becoming unruly, we are here to rehabilitate the children. I have shot a movie called “botsotsi ha bo patale” and again I try by all means to take the little boys and educate them, we have made a clip about crime and their parents were very happy about it. I go to schools and preach righteousness.
Do you get support?
We do get a lot of support from the community they have been assisting us a lot but our municipality haven’t for now, we have been making calls and trying to set up meetings, nothing is fruitful so far, many promises but hopefully we will get the platform we need.
Life currently
My life is good now but challenges are there because I am not working formally, I am just busy trying to make sure that we have a safe community, I still hang around with ditsotsi kapa mauthy so I used to get tempted because most times I find myself without things and then you would see them having everything they need, as a human you do get tempted but knowing my dream, I just keep my head up and push for righteousness against all odds and God Provides.
I want ultimately to end up as someone that our generation will look up-to and then, live a crime free life. I know that I am going to make it, let us all build our community for the sake of our black children who need to be helped.
What do you say to the community?
I would like to say that we only live once, I want people who like and enjoy crimes to seat down make plans for their lives and not just live, listen to their parents, go to school, join good organisations, join the choir, join a soccer team or any kind of sports, keep yourself busy against all odds, do something with your life and stop joining gang groups. You might end up dead, crazy or in prison, there is always a bad thing that will haunt you if you keep on with gangsterism. Go and ask for forgiveness for what you did and mean it from the heart.
Message for majita this December, kopa le itshware shapo, le, se ke la tshwara batho poho,motho ha a sena nix a amohele hore ha a na nix for festive unless someone calls you to do ntho tse shapo o se ke wa wela. Le be le December tse monate, ke a lethabela.
Please give him a call at +27635513653 for more info on rehabilitation of our teenagers.
