A shortened AI-edit of Destine Nde’s longer article

A New Generation of Patriots on the Rise in South Africa

A new breed of motivational speakers is rising in South Africa: ex-convicts and current inmates. Their stories are exploding on social media. Cape Tow’s Rodney van der Byl has clocked millions of TikTok and Instagram views with his viral slogan: “Prison didn’t break me, it woke me.”

Backed by government departments (DSD, Correctional Services), NGOs like NICRO, and faith-based groups, these speakers are being given the tools to share their stories through videos, books, and public stages.

The common thread is regret turned into purpose. Instead of sinking into despair, these individuals use their past mistakes to steer the youth away from crime, dismantle community stigmas, and rebuild their own futures.

The Message at Willowmore

On Wednesday, Brian Davids—a former St Albans prison warder known as “Prisondent”—brought this vital message to a packed audience at Willowmore’s Kerrieblok Hall.

Years of working closely with inmates taught Davids that the vast majority are salvageable if given proper support. He noted that a single youthful indiscretion, combined with a lack of family and community care, quickly spirals into gangsterism and addiction. This breakdown of foundational values explains why South African prisons have become increasingly crowded post-1994.

To combat this, Davids runs school interventions focused on early prevention, urging parents to step up and learners to focus on education.

“Don’t dance with the devil,” he warned the crowd, tracing the direct, subtle line that leads from an unstable home straight to a prison cell. “Break the chain!”

Davids drove the point home visually with a striking two-tone suit: the left half black (representing a successful life), the right half orange (representing prison), with his right foot chained to a heavy orange block.

To the parents, he reminded them:

“The hand that rocked the cradle rules the world.”

To the youth, he cautioned against reckless choices, noting how subtly crime takes hold:

“Crime is cunning. You never realise how deep you are falling until you hit the bottom… It pushes you gently until you can no longer feel its touch.”

A Living Testimony

The Willowmore event was organised by Shevandre Coetze, a Department of Social Development employee and a rehabilitated ex-convict.

“I am a living testimony of these initiatives,” Coetze said. “Otherwise, I would still be an addict or an inmate.”

Coetze emphasized that rehabilitation is a grueling process marked by frequent relapses. “If the agents aren’t passionate, they give up on you. You promise to be good, but outside you slip up and end up back in jail. But they kept coming back, offering hope until it stuck. Even after you change, they help you reintegrate.”

A Combined Effort

With South Africa’s unemployment rate climbing to 32.7% in early 2026, the intersection of joblessness and crime is more critical than ever.

In his recent Youth Day address at FNB Stadium, President Cyril Ramaphosa called the 4.7 million unemployed young people an urgent national crisis and pledged increased police visibility to tackle gangsterism.

But state policing is only half the battle. Eradicating these social plagues requires grassroots dedication from NGOs, communities, and local patriots like Brian Davids and Shevandre Coetze. Together, they prove that a drug-free South Africa starts from the ground up.