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.”
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