Chronicles of a jailbird

By Mathew Masinge

Ex-convict Kansile Kansile says he is not giving up in his search for his kinsmen after spending the greater part of his life in and out of jail.

Kansile, 35, claims he was born at Chikurubi Female Prison to his late mother Nomsa Zuzeyi.

He was born on November 22, 1986 when Zuzeyi was serving a life sentence for the murder of her husband and daughter.

According to Kansile, he left his mother’s care aged five before he was fostered and later became a serial thief.

To date, Kansile has been convicted seven times for various crimes.

He says, given his record he has been unable to find a decent job or leads to either his paternal or maternal relatives.

“Misfortune has hit hard on me, I last had a meal three days ago and have no one to turn to.

“Everywhere I try to find a job my criminal record follows me and I don’t get hired.

“If anyone is my relative or knows anyone from the Kansile family out there, please help me out before I lose hope,” said Kansile.

Kansile said he was a changed man and would never go back to being a criminal.

“I know how it is to be in prison and what it did to my status hence I have promised myself never to be involved in crime again.

“I am a better person now. I recovered my true self after serving my jail term and choosing to stay out of crime for good,” he said.

Kansile pleaded with anyone who might know his relatives or his mother’s relatives to get in touch with him.

“When I was born Peter Mandanike of the Prison Fellowship was responsible for everything I needed. Unfortunately he is now late; this Kansile surname that I’m using was the one that my father used, according to the information that my mother provided to the prison officers.

“I don’t know my father’s first name or any of his relatives but he is believed to have been from Malawi, as we never used to get any visitors.

“I spent most of my life in prison but I have vowed to myself that my last conviction was the last and I don’t want to go back to prison as I now have goals to fulfil and start a family,” said Kansile.

Kansile was first convicted for Unlawful Entry at 15 and was convicted six more times for crimes such as shoplifting and theft from cars.

In 2001, Kansile was sentenced to 28 years for stock theft, but before he finished jail term, he benefited from a Presidential pardon in 2018.

Ever since his release, he has been hoping from one neighbourhood to another for shelter.

He has been forced out of his current lodgings in Epworth for failing to pay $3 rent. H-Metro