Within Cape Town’s bustling suburb of Mowbray there is a rather unique café called Gangstar Café. Situated on a corner street just off the main road it looks like any other café. However, it is not ordinary. It is a café that hires ex-gangsters. The café is run by a Christian organization known as ‘The Message Trust’ and they employ ex-gangsters who have accepted Jesus Christ into their life. It is a rather unique place and upon entering the café you are greeted with smiles larger than life, perhaps owing to the fact that many of its employees have been given a new lease on life. You do not feel threatened or anxious, actually far from it. It is a warm and hospitable place with great coffee and great people.
Due to its remarkable nature I decided to get some insight into some of the people that work there. I arranged to have a chat with the junior manager of Gangster Café, Xola. We got talking and he told me about his journey from being a dangerous gangster to the junior manager of the café. He started off by telling me about his childhood, as he recalls, “I actually grow up in a small township called Samora Machel. Growing up there in a busy community like Samora Machel, it was tough.” He elaborates on how he was raised by a single mother with 4 sisters and because he didn’t want to spend time with them at home he spent his time outside until late at night. As a result, he started smoking, becoming friends with guys who robbed people and doing “negative things” as Xola puts it. They started developing a gang which would smoke together, rob people together and be violent together. The community got tired of this and collectively called the police. A group of 36-40 policemen raided and searched Xola’s house and found a gun, a toy gun and a panga (machete). Xola was thrown into Pollsmoor Prison where he then joined up with the 28s, one of the notorious number gangs. He notes however that he was not fully a 28 but all his friends were.
It is at this point where Christ came into Xola’s life. He humorously explains how he and his friends in prison would go to church services but not for church. They went to church because they wanted to go outside and see the girls that went to the church services, to look at their beautiful faces. It was here where he first came into contact with Christ. Xola was then transferred to Drakenstein Prison and he started attending spiritual services and programs organized and conducted by 'The Message Trust'. He turned to Christ and upon leaving prison joined up with 'The Message Trust'. This is what led to him to being here today. However, it was not by any means a smooth journey. I asked Xola if he faced any rejection and difficulty finding a job because of his criminal record when he came out. Xola says it was a little bit tough and for the first year outside of prison he didn’t have a full time job but actually just received a stipend for preaching the word of God. He recalls, “I remember one day going to another place looking for a job, and then there they were about to give me the job and when they check my record… they saw I had a criminal record and they say, 'go, up until you clear up this, then we will give you a job' and then I was turned down for that, I felt so disappointed".
I asked Xola what some of the reasons are for young people joining gangs in areas such as Samora and Mitchells Plain (perhaps unemployment I inquire). Xola says no, one of the main reasons is peer pressure, “When you see a friend doing something you also feel like when you are not doing it you feel left out”. He adds that most of the people joining gangs are kids that are supposed to be in school (and hence should not be looking for work). I inquire further regarding the youth and ask Xola what he thinks he would say to young people facing unemployment and gangsterism (as a mentor what would he say). Xola thoughtfully digested the question and said, “Gang and living the life of negativity doesn’t actually pay but it only leads to death”. He adds that you should involve yourself with people who encourage you and lead you to the right life. He feels prison doesn’t change people or make them better and in his case it was Christ who changed his life. With regards to gangsterism and the life of negativity it is the people around you that are key, they will influence and guide how one lives their life.
We then ended the discussion with a question about hope. As a person who faced gangsterism and unemployment as well as finding Christ hope was key for Xola. He says that hope helped him on his path from unemployment and gangsterism to being employed. If one finds hope he says you should keep that hope and hold it. Hope motivates you and even though you get disappointed along the way you keep going - to trust that there is something coming for you. On a final note Xola says, “Hope actually, I can put it this way, don’t get disappointed too quickly because you might actually limit yourself to get to your destination”. At this point our conversation ended and I thanked Xola. I left with insightful knowledge as well as his larger than life smile as I left through the door. His story is truly remarkable and his insight into issues of gangsterism and unemployment is honest and thought-provoking. He provides us with an example of persistence, one’s ability to change and the power of hope. For anyone who needs a little bit of hope go have a cup of coffee at Gangstar Café, there is plenty of it to go around.
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