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IOL News
10-06-2025
- IOL News
From gangsterism to grace: Manenberg man reflects on 27-year journey to peace
Magadien Wentzel, once entrenched in gangsterism, now stands as a symbol of hope and transformation. Image: supplied For nearly three decades, Magadien Wentzel lived in the grip of gangsterism, violence, and incarceration. Today, he stands as a powerful voice for peace and transformation, a journey sparked by a tornado, anchored in forgiveness, and inspired by the simple belief that change is possible. 'When Manenberg was hit with a tornado in 1999, I saw it as a sign that I had to change my ways. That was in 1999, and I never looked back,' Wentzel said, reflecting on the storm that marked the start of his rebirth. Wentzel's life was once defined by his ties to the notorious prison gangs chronicled in Jonny Steinberg's bestselling book The Number. 'I spent almost 27 years in and out of prisons,' he recalled. 'To survive in prison, you are forced to be violent and feared.' After his release on parole in 2003, Wentzel faced a harsh society that wasn't ready to welcome him back. 'I wanted to shout out to the world to say that I am a changed man, please accept me,' he said. 'But they rejected me. My own sister said I wouldn't last three months outside.' Jobless, homeless, and struggling with depression, Wentzel found himself at a crossroads. 'I used to think I was a fool to reject all the money and offers from rich drug dealers,' he admitted. 'But I also knew that the ones who were willing to accept me as a brother were also the same ones who would take my life.' His turning point came when he met Professor Brian Williams, who introduced him to peace education. 'He believed in me and so I thought to myself, if he believes in me, why should I not believe in myself?' said Wentzel. 'I attended the peace education programme that he designed, and it completely changed and saved me.' Having endured the brutality of prison life and the stigma of re-entry, it was through Williams's workshops that Wentzel finally found what no rehabilitation programme had taught him. 'Without forgiveness, there is no peace. With inner peace, you don't hate but love and care about your neighbours and community,' he said Wentzel became a certified Peace Educator and has since trained thousands. 'Today, despite my modest circumstances, I live in peace,' he said. 'To be at peace is like living in the light and not darkness.' Still, he is often humbled by how others see him. 'The most memorable reaction is when people realise that I'm a normal person from Manenberg, who has a book written about me and a movie and so many documentaries, yet I'm still down to earth.' Wentzel's story is not just one of personal redemption. It is a testimony to the power of transformation, a former gangster who now lives for healing a broken society. 'Peace is a state of harmony and tranquillity in a society that is so used to a reactive nature,' he said. 'Change is possible.' IOL News
Washington Post
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Who is government?
Seven writers go in search of the essential public servant The role of the federal government is at the center of the national conversation. But who really is our government? What is it made of? And what is at stake when politicians say they want to expand or dismantle it? To find out, we set seven stellar writers loose on the federal bureaucracy. Their only brief was to go where they wanted, talk with whomever they wanted, and return with a story from deep within the vast, complex system Americans pay for, rebel against, rely upon, dismiss and celebrate. Profiles The Canary The Sentinel The Searchers The Number The Cyber Sleuth The Equalizer The Rookie The Free-Living Bureaucrat Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Coming soon: 'Who Is Government', the book Publishing March 18, 2025 (Penguin Random House) Buy the book Upcoming events Washington, D.C. | Politics & Prose @ Sidwell, March 18 Michael Lewis and Casey Cep with David Shipley | Politics & Prose @ Sidwell, March 18 San Francisco | City Arts & Lectures, March 19 Michael Lewis, Sarah Vowell, Kamau Bell, Dave Eggers | City Arts & Lectures, March 19 New Orleans | New Orleans Book Festival, Michael Lewis and Sarah Vowell The Backstory Michael Lewis talks to the authors about their subjects Casey Cep on 'The Sentinel' Listen 13 min Settings Options Listen to Michael Lewis talk to Casey Cep about The Sentinel Dave Egger on 'The Searchers' Listen 11 min Settings Options Michael Lewis in conversation with Dave Eggers for The Searchers John Lanchester on 'The Numbers' Listen 9 min Settings Options John Lanchester in conversation with Michael Lewis about The Number Geraldine Brooks on 'The Cyber Sleuth' Listen 12 min Settings Options Michael Lewis and Geraldine Brooks in conversation about the IRS Sarah Vowell on 'The Equalizer' Listen 12 min Settings Options Listen to Michael Lewis in conversation with Sarah Vowell about the National Archives W. Kamau Bell on 'The Rookie' Listen 9 min Settings Options Michael Lewis and Kamau Bell in conversation Washington Post-Live conversation With W. Kamau Bell, Geraldine Brooks, Michael Lewis and David Shipley, Opinions editor Honoring Public Service: The Untold Stories 51:07 Michael Lewis, W. Kamau Bell and Geraldine Brooks join Washington Post Live on Tuesday, Sept. 10. (The Washington Post) Full transcript
