A teenager who spent eight fearful months at Pollsmoor Maximum Security prison for a crime he did not commit is now being assisted by the renowned Kolisi foundation. 19-year-old Sihle from Table View in Cape Town was wrongfully arrested in June 2019, for an attempted robbery and was in custody while awaiting trial.
In prison, the teenager did not only have to deal with his surroundings but his mother also tragically passed away in a car accident. However, camera footage from the night that the alleged robbery took place was investigated, and Sihle was acquitted on all charges and released from Pollsmoor.
While being a free man, Sihle’s home was taken away, and he found himself sleeping on the streets, in front of a Police Station, after the homeless shelter he was staying at kicked him out after only three months.
A leap of faith
Sihle then reached out to the Kolisi foundation after remembering the motivational speech Springbok captain and co-founder of the foundation, Siya Kolisi, gave to the inmates during his time behind bars.
Meanwhile, inspired by Sihle’s strength and the sadness in his story, the Kolisi Foundation is now trying to help him turn his life around. Rachel Kolisi said:” I’ve come across so few people that are this resilient and so few people who have overcome what he has overcome.”
The Kolisi Foundation has since found a temporary shelter for Sihle to stay at and has enrolled him in courses to complete his matric and receive computer skills development, so he can have a better future and follow his dreams.
Picture: Supplied