Ismail Baredien, previously from Bonteheuwel, has published his first book after 19 years behind bars.
Mr Baredien, 48, who now lives in Mitchell’s Plain, was sentenced to Drakenstein Correctional Centre in 1995 and was released in 2004 after committing various crimes when he joined a gang as a boy.
In 2012, he was again sentenced to prison and was released earlier this year. While behind bars he wrote a book titled The Ugly American about a young boy who is brilliant at school but had to make tough life choices to survive the streets of Cape Town. His mother was an abuser but never gave up on her boy when he chose a life of gangsterism. The book ends with him making the right choices and progressing in life. It teaches parents how to protect their children from the evils of the streets of Cape Town.
As a child, Mr Baredien was passionate about writing and reading and loved holding a book.
He said that the book to encourages children to make the right decisions and their parents to be alert and always supportive throughout their children’s lives. He said that it was important for parents to be honest with their children about the harsh reality of life and the challenges that came with it.
“I took two-and-a-half years to write the book which is about three-hundred pages. The book also speaks about social injustices pre 1994 and the things I endured in prison. I felt the need to tell my story to motivate kids to learn and get an education and that parents must be strict with their children. I also speak about the reality of pitfalls in life because it is something that they face daily,” he said.
The Ugly American sells for R150 and can be bought from the author. Call Ismail Baredien on 069 235 4985.