Jeremy Jansen
The former Ajax Cape Town star was previously jailed for a vicious assault while still a player, but has managed to turn his life around.
It is now 12 years since Jeremy ‘Maya’ Jansen walked out on parole from the Pollsmoor Prison, but the scars of the time incarcerated at the notorious maximum-security facility remain fresh in his mind.
With well over 100 appearances in the PSL at Seven Stars, Ajax Cape Town and Santos, the then 25-year-old found himself standing as accused for abduction, attempted rape and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The events at Sunrise Beach in Muizenberg in September 2002 led to the beginning of his trial, which lasted two years before he was sentenced.
“When I look back to the time I spent inside, I am glad that it didn’t destroy me and leave me shattered like what it does to most guys that I found inside. It was easier to end up a lost cause who had given up on life, but I didn’t,” he admits.
The tears might have long dried up but the psychological bruises of being locked up in a gangster-infested prison will never heal for Jansen.
“It was a tough time being in prison, but I made it through. I saw all the crazy things in prison from the bad to the extreme. And luckily for me, I made a good friend who had already been in for 25 years when I got in, so he showed me everything about the dos and don’ts in that dangerous environment.
“He knew it all and taught me that when you are in there you must look after your back because there are no saints there. They will tell you straight in your face that you didn’t come in here with your mother, but came alone after doing something wrong, so you must pay for it.
“They will tell you that you are now in our custody so we are the ones that will look after you. So, it is either you join a gang, or they will do something to you if you don’t give them money. That was the way of life when in there,” recalls Jansen.
bought me a cellphone when I came out. “He was fond of me because I was doing a lot for him,” he details.
Jansen says he earned the sympathy of prison officials as he had his former teammates visiting whenever they had time. “I was the guy who got David Kannemeyer and Dillon Sheppard to d rop two Sundowns kits for me, which I gave to the prison. Moe eneeb Josephs even came in to give g goalkeeping training in the e facility.
“I also gave them balls be ecause my friends from soccer rea ally stood out for me when I wa as in prison and I am proud of th hat up to this day. “Dominic Isaacs, Shaun Oliver O and all other younger guys g all came to the prison and that t was important for me. I had h support from the guys at Santos and the e younger Ajax guys, which was good good.
“Everybody from that squad which won the Rothmans Cup (2000) came through at some time,” he remembers. inspiration for the day.
“We have two kids. The boy is 17 and the girl is 15, and she is playing netball for Hanover Park in the Western Province League. I want to see my son going forward with soccer because he has a good left foot, even though he doesn’t want to play leftback and always wants to be attacking down the wings. He reminds me a bit of myself when I was young,” he says.
What complicated his stay in the First Division were the strict parole conditions, which had to be adhered to and complied with. Jansen had to be under the supervision and control of the Department of Correctional Services until the expiration of his sentence of imprisonment.
He had been released based on good behaviour and had to prove that he can adapt to normal lawful community life.
“That was only applicable for the first two years after I came out on parole. The parole conditions lasted until the year after I left Hanover Park. It has now been over 10 years since I came out of prison, so I have no restrictions attached to me anymore, plus I am clean.
“I don’t need to report to the police