Thinking back

You know, before you are sentenced one of two things will happen to you. Either you are one of the lucky one’s who successfully applies for bail or your bail application is nothing but a media farce and is denied . In the South African legal system anything is possible. If you are one of the lucky few to be granted bail you can attend the trial from outside of court. But if you are one of the poor suckers to be denied bail, like me, you will remain in prison .Most Johannesburg suspects are detained in the P-4 wing of Sun City (Diepkloof prison) until your trial in court. If you are squeamish and soft, I guarantee you will NOT survive this experience….Literally. It is during the “awaiting trial-period” that you are fully tested emotionally, physically, financially, morally as well as your family and friends. I cannot comment on what it is like to visit someone in  the Sun City prison out of experience, only on what my family and friends told me - which I take as gospel, remember I’m an actual inmate.  The Gatta’s are useless, racist and try to intimidate visitors with their false power trip. Even visitors are over excessively searched and in some cases for women it borders on sexual harassment. All awaiting trial detainees receive visit in the Fishtank – NO contact visits are allowed which raises the question of “Why the excessive Searching?” Even the visitors are treated as Bandiete; it is tough for visitors in the prison.

For us the suspect/detainees, well it is almost as if you get used to this kind of treatment. All the rights that according to our beloved Constitution you are entitled to…forget it. You get food once a day, you don’t get any exercise, there is hardly any medical service and the conditions are sub-human….period. Anything you want is only possible via Smokkel. Imagine not seeing sunlight for two years….your skin actually becomes translucent, it’s scary to see. Visits are once a week on work day’s only and is for 10 minutes. Legal visits is virtually impossible as around 8000 detainees have to share three consulting rooms, it’s just a complete nightmare. On an average you will fight roughly every second week, but like I said it is as if you become totally used to this kind of life….it even seems normal after a while. My advice to all of you who might end up in this situation one day – stand your ground, stick to your convictions and don’t take shit. More than that I can’t say – I’m not the one who will fight your battles. Not only do you have to fight in prison, you must fight the legal system during your trial in court, the media and at times your legal team. The routine in terms to get to court is appalling, especially if you have a trial ranging from one week to three months. You are woken up between 3-4 am in the morning and taken down to the court cells. All the detainees of all the various courts in Johannesburg are taken down to the reception area. It is noisy, very dirty and extremely crowded. Food is a scarcity and everybody is divided according to the court they attend into cages – YES, cages. So, everyone attending High Court will end up in a cage together, Protea court in one cage, Yeoville in another and so forth with Brixton, Wynberg, Randburg, Roodepoort, Jhb-Central, Krugersdorp etc all having their own cage.

From there everybody is processed and squeezed into a Gomba like sardines, this whole process is finished around 7:30 am and is tiring being on your feet all this time. Then we are taken through the traffic in the Gomba’s to the various courts and most of the drivers are trying to break the land speed record – with no regard for safety. Government officials think they are above the law and can do as they please. If you arrive at court with no incident you are a lucky man indeed. Many times I’ve witnessed fist fights in the back of the Gomba whilst being transported. It gets ugly in there. Anyway at court you are taken to a holding cell and at the correct time you are escorted to the relevant courtroom for your trial.  After your day in court facing the State prosecutor and bias media looking for sensation rather than fact, you are escorted back to the waiting cell and from there to the Gomba for the risky trip back to prison. Depending which court you attend you arrive back at Sun City between 17:30 and 19:00. Now one by one everybody is processed back into the prison and placed into the cages once again. Here you wait until the last Gomba returns and group by group you are taken back to your sections at around 21:30, sometimes even as late as 23:00. Then the routine starts the next day again between 3-4am.

 NOTE: I didn’t mention food as you don’t get any during the day, unless your loved one’s bribe a Gatta at court to buy you some food. To think I followed this routine for nearly three months every day while still trying to argue with my so-called lawyer and having to deal with the condemning media. I didn’t stand a chance! I failed myself, my family, my friends and now I’m stuck in  this shithole due to my own failures……or is it?

I thought so until now. I will fight this system…this system that only favours the rich, famous and politically correct. I will reveal the corruption of the SAP members, court officials And the rest of the corrupt faces in the system. My appeal will go in and I believe I will succeed. I’m saying this so you don’t think I’ve given up hope for the future and a normal life. In a way writing all this is therapeutic. I just don’t know how long my struggle will take…….again it’s all the uncertainty all over again.

Back to my life as a sentenced inmate, I’ve given you the gist of Sun City and currently I’m in Zonderwater. Well I’m going to reveal some other prisons and their conditions to you as I heard it via radio bandiet…

Modder Bee prison:    Corrupt as hell and gangsterism is 99% part of the prison. You don’t get any State supplied toiletries and your loved one’s must bring those items to you. You receive one hour exercise a day and the food is crap but enough. Postal service is non-existent. Sounds like a Shithole and is a definite NO GO.

Boksburg:                        Situated virtually in the nearby squatter camp. It is very dirty from the outside and lice infested… gangsterism is prominent, but not dominant. There are workshops to better yourself and apparently you are open from 6am-6pm. Sporting activities do exist and it sounds like a good prison…its just very dirty all over but the visitor’s facilities are good…

Krugersdorp:                  Exactly like Sun City except for the location… not for the squeamish and soft hearted. Avoid if possible folks!

Pretoria Central:           Overcrowded, nice gym but lice infested, dirty and it’s a case of how much money you have will determine how you live and are treated…  reasonable for visitor.

Baviaanspoort:              In all aspects resembles Zonderwater and is a farm type prison. Smokkel is hard but in general it is a good prison with fair visiting facilities…

Groenpunt:                     Gangsters paradise and not for human beings…

ODI:                                  A real Shithole in Hammanskraal, enough said!

C-Max:                             You have no rights, you aren’t even human if you are unlucky enough to be there. You are beaten shitless by the Gatta’s upon entry and don’t even see another inmate… this is a super maximum prison. Being transferred there is a bad career move…

Today I took you through some hard experiences and I told you what it is like in the pre-sentence

phase of suspects. Next week I will be back with the usual. Be good or be good at

it...Yada...Yada...Yada.

Quote of the week: “In life some day’s you’re the dog…some days you’re the hydrant.”