Cape Town - “The best gang to belong to is the gang called family.”
These are the words of Solomon Staggie, the brother of slain twins, Rashied and Rashaad Staggie, alleged former Hard Livings gang bosses.
Rashaad was murdered during a vigilante attack in 1996 in Salt River and Rashied was shot and killed in 2019 in the same suburb.
Solomon, 60, is the founder of Voice of the Voiceless and is a born-again Christian who aims to give children a voice from a young age in changing the narrative of their lives by focusing on programmes, encouragement and skills and spirituality.
Solomon said he shies away speaking about himself because his focus was youth, particularly young men, to help shape their lives for the better.
At the weekend, Solomon carried out his annual visit to Voorberg Prison where he and his members were allowed to provide food and refreshments to inmates.
Seven years ago, Solomon was one of these inmates who had been imprisoned for 17 years. He was sentenced in 1999 for gang-related charges and was released in 2015. He changed his life around in prison, educating and inspiring fellow inmates.
He has now carried on this legacy, uplifting the lives of young and old men.
“The focus is not me, but the youth,” he said. “These things are only possible with God and volunteers who can turn the situation around.”
He said the role of a father inside the home was important and when it was missing, it shaped the vulnerability of family members.
“Most of us joined gangs, looking for a father's presence,” he said. “The father shows the son the values of things such as how to treat a woman, how to treat a mother, a wife. The best gang to belong to is the gang called family.”
His programme, which is filled with spreading the word of God, is aimed at showing them why and how to change their lives. Most of these young men do not have a father figure, the gang members make them feel important. In a gang they receive a rank, and that is the reason why they find the joy of belonging to the gang.
“Now we need to point out to them the reasons why they joined, and what we are seeing inside the prisons is how they are turning their lives around. The importance for them is to know why they joined a gang.”
Solomon also runs an after-school programme for young boys, assisting them with their homework and sport, and is part of the initiative the Balls Not Guns campaign.
Gloria Veale of Balls Not Guns said Solomon had become a father figure to boys in the community.
“He has moved from darkness to light, he has consciously made the choice despite a lot of pain. He has lost both of his brothers. He is really focused on how to impact life, turning lives around, choices which are light and not evil or dark. He is very committed and has a heart for the community.”