Life-changing intervention
From a life of crime to one of doing good for his fellow community and others
They now see that I am not that animal I used to be. They love me now
From terrorising communities, abusing drugs and being in and out of jail as he was the law unto himself, Monwabisi Jingxeni was once everyone’s worst nightmare in his Mangwevini village in Dutywa. His reign of terror continued as he grew up and graduated from a village thug to robbing people in Dutywa town and Alice where he was studying at the University of Fort Hare. The 35-year-old repeat offender and a recovering drug addict decided to change his life around completely as he is now an emerging farmer and a motivational speaker.
This was after he received support from the Office of the Premier and now he is on his way to being a model citizen.
The former criminal received five hectares of land which he is using for vegetable farming.
He said peer pressure got the better of him as he mixed with the wrong crowd, abused alcohol and drugs and went on crime sprees with his “friends”.
“I used to rob people in Dutywa and I would steal from the clothing line at the University of Fort Hare when I was about to go back home because I wanted to look good. “When people resisted when I robbed them, I was very quick to stab them, but luckily I never killed anyone,” he said.
After dropping out of university, he packed his backs and headed for Johannesburg in search of greener pastures.
However, this was not the case as he lived in a shack and only got a job that paid R2,500 per month. After noticing how a neighbour’s pig farming business had been thriving, Jingxeni decided to go back home to pursue his farming dream. Because he did not have the capital to immediately start his vegetable cooperative, he did piece jobs and saved money to buy seedlings. Other villagers he had worked for would pay him by giving him an old fence. “People used to laugh at me when I was doing the piece jobs because I went to university. I was a laughing stock,” he said.
And now his life has completely changed as he started Baza Cooperative which he said supplies Spar and Ngumbela supermarkets in Dutywa.
They also supply hawkers with vegetables.
“Even if you were to drop your wallet with R20,000 in it now, I would pick it up and give it back to you without expecting anything in return,” he said.
Jingxeni said he would forever be grateful to premier Phumulo Masualle for his support.
“If it was not for the premier, I am sure I would have been dead by now. I was spiralling out of control. I take my hat off to the premier. I will forever be grateful to his office for the support,” he said. Jingxeni said farming was therapeutic.
Jingxeni said he was now visiting schools encouraging pupils not to get into the life of crime. “Before I changed my life around people used to be very scared of me. They now see that I am not that animal I used to be. ”They love me now,” he jokingly said.
Jingxeni said he was living proof that people were capable of change. “No one was born evil. Parents who used to be scared of me now make me an example when they are talking to their children,” Jingxeni said. He said he was happy that through Masualle’s intervention he was now living his dream. “Agriculture is the way to go,” he said.
Provincial government spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said Jingxeni was just one of the success stories. “We are encouraging the youth to tap into the agriculture sector because the future of the province is in agriculture,” he said.