“How did I escape from the snare?"
That's the title of the book written by a former drug addict from Delft who turned to God to change his troubled life.
In his gripping new book, Thulani Mabentsela shares his harrowing journey from teenage drug addiction and prison time to finding redemption through faith.
Thulani, 32, says his life took a dramatic turn when he became involved with bad friends, which resulted in him living on the streets of Cape Town at 13 years of age.
Here he smoked Mandrax and committed crimes which landed him behind bars in the juvenile section of Pollsmoor just a year later.
Thulani recalls: “I spent nearly three years in jail, and being involved with prison gangs was particularly painful.
"But everything changed when I was moved from Pollsmoor to Knysna Prison where I was told that prison gangs are not allowed.
"I was granted parole because of good behaviour, and while I was there, I really wanted to change because the situation in prison was not good.
"I would cry myself to sleep, telling myself I never wanted to return.“
Thulani says living on the streets was tough.
He reflects: “Living in the streets was not nice, as I would spend months without sleeping because of smoking drugs.
“Sometimes I would think of going home, but I couldn't because the community wanted to beat me up for my wrongdoings.”
In 2015, when he was 23, he went to live with his cousin in Gqeberha, but again he made bad choices.
A trip to church to chise girls changed his life, though.
He says: “This situation changed completely when my cousin and I visited church with the aim of looking for girls but I found myself accepting God.”
By writing this book, Thulani says he wanted to give hope and inspire people like his friends, “because I myself managed to change and leave my old life.”
The book costs R250, to purchase contact Thulani on 078 380 8498.