Chris Morapedi is a 56-year-old pastor who for many years used to terrorised the people of Westonaria, Mogale City in South Africa.
The man was the founder and leader of the notorious Battalions gang which made the residents’ lives hell. However, 16 hard years in jail changed him. Today he is a man of God and has been released on parole.
According to Daily Sun SA, Chris used his time in prison to read the Bible and became a pastor. Now he preaches against violence and teaches kids to stay away from gangs.
He told Daily Sun he had learned the hard way that crime doesn’t pay.
It started when he lost his parents at an early age and was forced to look after his siblings. He dropped out of school to try and get money for food, and was soon exposed to a life of crime.
“It started small with petty crime and then went on to smash and grab attacks, as well as armed robberies.
“Before I knew it, I had turned into a hardened criminal. I was feared in the kasi and later formed the Battalions gang.
“We were involved in armed robberies, drug dealing, hijacking and breaking into homes and businesses.”
He was bust in 2001 after the gang broke into a house and shot the owner.
“Police chased us down and it ended in a shoot-out, but we were arrested. While being charged the cops discovered that I had a number of previous crimes and I was sentenced to life imprisonment. My life changed forever.
“None of the people who I thought were my friends even came to visit me in jail.
“And that’s when I found God. I believe going to prison was the best thing that could have happened to me. It gave me a lot of time to think about my life, who I am and my mistakes.
“In prison I joined a church and started reading the Bible. I know it’s going to take a lot to fix my mistakes, but I’m glad I’m on the right path. I just want to warn the youth that crime doesn’t pay.”
