WHEN Khanyile Faba was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment at Brandvlei Correctional Centre four years ago, he decided to redo his matric.
The 23-year-old from the Western Cape was announced as the top prison school achiever in Barberton, Mpumalanga, on Monday, 24 January.
He obtained seven distinctions.
Khanyile, who didn’t want to share the crime he was convicted for, told Daily Sun he already had a matric certificate when he was sent to prison and decided to redo it as he hadn’t performed well. “I knew my ability and knew I could better,” he said.
He said he focused on the subjects he found difficult.
“I used my time effectively,” he said.
Khanyile said when he was outside, he didn’t see the importance of education due to peer pressure and drugs. He said he looked back and knew he had to do something with his life. He said he would continue with his electrical engineering studies.
Sfiso Sibanyoni, who was convicted for robbery and murder in 2000, said studying was not easy for him because of the distractions by other inmates.
He said he was motivated to continue with his studies because of his sentence.
“I saw other inmates achieve good results for years and furthering their studies afterwards,” he said. The 42-year-old, who obtained a distinction in Swati, said he got good results because of his dedication and hard work.
Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola said eight of their schools achieved 100% pass rate.
“We applaud inmates who withstood, overcame various challenges and spared no effort in their desire to successfully complete their studies,” said Lamola.
