15-05-2025
Ivan Waldeck: From gang leader to guiding light
Ivan Waldeck's book is now for sale
Image: Supplied
Once a feared gangster and convicted murderer, Ivan Waldeck has become one of South Africa's most powerful voices for change. His newly released autobiography, The Gates of Hell, tells the unflinching story of how a life shaped by poverty, violence and addiction was turned into a mission of hope, healing and transformation.
Born and raised in Tiervlei-Ravensmead, Cape Town, Waldeck was no stranger to hardship. Losing both his father and twin siblings at a young age, he grew up in a shack with a single mother trying to hold the family together. With poverty all around and violence on every corner, gangsterism seemed less like a choice and more like a means of survival. He joined young and rose quickly, driven by a desire for power and protection in a brutal environment.
His life is a story few would believe if it weren't told in his own words. Now, Waldeck is using his past not for pity or pride, but to pave a way out for those still trapped in the violent cycle he narrowly escaped.
Waldeck's criminal rise brought him face to face with some of the Western Cape's most feared figures — including Rashied Staggie, leader of the Hard Livings gang. But in an unexpected twist, years later, the two men would work together toward a different kind of legacy: helping others break free from the same destructive lifestyle they once embodied.
While imprisoned, Waldeck began to experience a radical shift. A brief yet life-altering encounter with Nelson Mandela at Pollsmoor Prison became a moment of reckoning. What followed was years of soul-searching, transformation and the painful work of reconciliation — both with himself and those he had hurt.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Ivan Waldeck shared personal accounts of his most darkest moments
Image: Supplied
'The reason for this book was our young men dying every week on our streets,' Waldeck says. 'Mothers' tears moved me to give hope to our young generation and make them aware that there is a way out of gangs.'
The Gates of Hell, which took two years to write, is raw, unfiltered, and rooted in truth — not glorifying gang life, but exposing its devastating toll. Waldeck doesn't write as a victim or a hero, but as someone who has lived the darkness and chosen the light. 'I took every opportunity to better my life and build a future for my children — and to reach out to those in need to exit the life of crime.'
He now leads the Cape Transformation Centre, a non-profit organisation committed to helping others find a way out. The centre's flagship programme, EXIT, supports individuals seeking to leave gangs and overcome addiction. It offers a structured 12-step recovery process for drug users, alongside counselling and guidance for reintegration into communities.
Waldeck is also deeply committed to prevention. 'My goal is for The Gates of Hell to become a comprehension book for Grade 8 students in South African schools,' he explains. 'To inform them and warn them not to be involved in crime and gangs.'
Rashieda Staggie with Ivan Waldeck and his wife Nathasha
Image: Supplied
He recalls haunting scenes from his time in prison, where boys barely into their teens were thrown into a world they weren't ready for. 'I saw young men who couldn't stand their ground. They were abused in different ways, and many times it's too late to intervene. I remember one gangster who hanged himself because he couldn't deal with the 'Numbers' system and their requirements.'
Waldeck, now a husband, father, and community leader, remains grounded in the belief that change is possible — not just for individuals, but for entire communities. 'We must appreciate those who care,' he said. 'Because sometimes, that's all it takes to stop someone from falling.'
The Gates of Hell is more than a personal memoir. It's a beacon of possibility for those society has written off, a tool for educators and community leaders, and a rallying cry for a nation battling crime and youth disillusionment.
The Gates of Hell by Ivan Waldeck is available now in print and digital formats. For schools, churches, community organisations and anyone passionate about social justice and second chances, this is a book that demands to be read — and shared.
Weekend Argus
