A Few New Faces

The only thing consistent in prison is the fact that it continually changes… people come and go, systems are upgraded to less efficient systems with more loopholes and very view officials are actually interested in what they are doing, but then again it aint no dream job…

A lot of new events take place over the next couple of days: a couple of rugby matches and even a soccer mach between Mlunghu’s and Darkies, then there’s a few beatings amongst inmates and a new rehabilitation program…

A couple of new inmates arrive from Pretoria Central Prison. First up we have another guy called Jan (the professor) a tall skinny Mallala-pipes and a true wack job… this character allegedly picked up a gentleman looking for sexual favours in return for payment. Rumour has it that when it came down to actually doing the monkey dance… poor professor opted rather to kill this horny faggot and rob him of his possessions… if any of this is true, I don’t know cause Jan is actually an intelligent guy… it’s just that he loves to overcomplicate things and always tries to be the smartest person in the room, which in prison is not hard to be, but he has an opinion about everything and sometimes speaks the biggest load of crap, especially about I.T. … I do however love to prove him wrong and the expression on his face is usually priceless when he realizes he made an ass of himself…

Next up we have Piet (Pangelang). This is truly one crazy mother but to his friends he is the coolest pipe-smoking dude… I will refer to him more in future and so far I cant diss this man. He may be a little nutty, but remains a damn sweet bloke. (He is in for robbery after being on the run for 9 years… and mostly just a little misunderstood…)

Then I meet Pimp – Jannie Biceps, one of the biggest squealers you may ever meet… yes he is pretty big with arms at around 21’’, but a true dumb-ass… this guy actually lied himself into prison during his trail instead of telling the truth and maybe just receiving  a slap on the wrist…

If there are two things I cannot handle its Pimps and pre-Madonnas. Poor old Jannie is both, but hey it’s only my opinion and I’m sure his mommy loves him cause around here no one can stand this idiot and we soon drew the line… Stupid, backstabbing, two timing ugly, numb nuts are all choice phrases that come to mind.

Another youngster named Marius also makes his debut in prison. He’s still young and a sportsman for life… literally- as that is his sentence…  Apparently he played fullback for Centurion rugby club… any way I’ll put that statement to the test soon enough. He reminds me a little of Johnny Bravo…

All the Mlunghu’s live in one cell and there’s a lot of dislike, distrust and sarcasm in the rounds… Change is inevitable and as inmates try in conjunction with two Gatta’s, the head of prison and our unit manager come up with a sustainable rehab program. The aim is to educate previously disadvantaged people in our prison with basic skills such as farming and woodwork. We start off on a small scale in our unit and this is how the Grow for Life project came about. It is also the first time I see true rehabilitation and change of habits amongst inmates. It is not long before the project is implemented in other units as well…

Look, before you complain that I’m inly discussing people, I will tell you about the skut we had to go through last night. Yes, searches happen regularly and it is definitely not pleasant. You have to remember one thing, as an inmate you can be search at any time and as many times as the Gatta’s feel like… However, every now and then we are surprised be an evening search… the norm being that after lockup in the afternoon you do not see any Gatta’s until folla the next morning, and inmates are left to their own devices… Thus an evening skut usually catches inmates off guard and most illegal items are found. It just came as a loud clack-clack as the door was suddenly swung open and then another clack-clack and the security gate swings against the toilet wall. The Gatta’s came storming in, loads of them with tracksuits and others in uniform. Next to every bunk bed stands two of them and we are instructed to take all our movables outside. I take my own bag, pillow and mattress, but all our Isinyonga’s are confiscated.  Outside we are stripped searched. I still don’t know why he had to pat down my legs, as I’m clinging to the wall bare assed??? It just confirms what I said previously about their logic… After my physical the Boer moves to my bag where he diligently goes through everything and moves on to my mattress then he ripped my pillow apart. (The f**ken asshole) I hear a lot of commotion and complaints all around me, but it is Johan who catches my eye as he is falling backwards after being punched by a Gatta. Suddenly all the attention is on him and its clear what happened. In his hand I see a prison made steel knife… What his intentions were, I’m not sure, but fortunately the Gatta didn’t take any chances… there is a saying that goes something like this: “when the emotions go up, intellect goes down…” it must be what happened with Johan. Poor fella is currently in isolation, better known as the bom…

I was escorted back to the cell with the asshole who ripped my pillow apart short on my heels heading for my locker. After unlocking it I leave him to go through my stuff to his hearts content…  first the photo album, then the bible, the letters and then the writing pad… then the little bag with chalk used for grip in the gym, the asshole actually licked his finger and tasted some of the white powder… well I did tell him its only gym chalk, but hey- I’m just a prisoner-  To say that he didn’t like the taste would be an understatement and I feel it’s just a little justice for my pillow…  did he really think he just found the mother load and a promotion or what???

We headed out of the cell again and I had to wait with the rest of the guys who finished their search-sessions. This time I didn’t lose anything but a pillow and we are given permission to retrieve our other belongings from the grass and struggle back inside. The next few hours are spent reorganising our lives, putting things back together and tiding up our cell… I race to finish and I’m off to the shower again and then to bed.

I slept like the dead… I guess we all did after that sudden unexpected change in routine. I wonder what surprises tomorrow will bring???

Quote of the week: “A mans creed: life is all about ASS… you’re either covering it..Kicking it… kissing it… busting it… laughing it off or just trying to get a piece of it.”