From hitman to healer: Alberton man’s journey of redemption

Once shackled by the grip of addiction, the redeemed Albertonian has emerged from the darkest depths of life and has transformed into a life of purpose.

Known to the Alberton Record as ‘Mr X’, the Albertonian who comes from a very dark side of the world, has transformed from being the most vicious hitman to a compassionate counsellor.

“Growing up, I knew my father, but he was never around. Each time I saw my family get into fights, it broke me emotionally. I had everything I wanted. I had the perfect school and excelled in sports. While in Grade Four, I reached a point where things started getting out of hand,” he explained.

In an exclusive interview, he said he was a typical youngster raised with love and respect. He was introduced to a chaotic life at a tender age while seeking compassion and protection.

“I got involved with mischievous friends and started by smoking cigarettes. Everything changed. My grades dropped, and I had to move to a different school. I went to a local high school where I became one of the best in rugby. My rugby journey ended when I got a terrible injury and that got to me,” Mr X said.

Swept up in the tide of influence, he wanted to make a name for himself. He started using drugs, from methcathinone (CAT), ecstasy, and crack cocaine to using acid.

The darkest depths of life

“I then dropped out of school and would often visit a friend whose dad stayed in West Rand. I eventually got involved in a bigger gang and introduced me to the gang leader. The leader offered me money because he could see that I loved living a flashy life,” said Mr X.

@albertonrecord Known to the Alberton Record as ‘Mr X’, the Albertonian who comes from a very dark side of the world, has transformed from being the most vicious hitman to a compassionate counsellor. #Hitman #Alberton #CapCut ♬ original sound – Alberton Record

The leader then got back to him, saying Mr X now owed him.

“He took out a gun and asked if I wanted it, to which I agreed because I thought I would be feared. He offered me an opportunity to work for him. He also asked if I could take a life if it came to that point. I told him that was nothing, but I had not killed anyone. He gave me the gun,” he explained.

Mr X was then welcomed with open arms and given a tattoo – marking loyalty and commitment to the gang.

“He showed me two boys walking and told me that those boys were our rivals. He asked me to shoot at them, which I did and just wounded them. It was a different type of feeling. He asked me to become a hitman for him. For the first hit, he brought a file with the person’s picture and all their details,” he said.

The gang leader offered Mr X a large sum of money and he was required to capture video footage of his hit. On the day of the hit, while high on drugs, he committed the crime, later received his payment and left the West Rand.

With the easy cash came a life of luxury and excess. But that did not last long; he needed to get another hit. Having impressed his gang leader, he got more exposure to gangster life.

“The first encounter of torturing someone was by pulling out their fingernails with pliers. Sadly, even though they spoke the truth, they still lost their life. I got my third hit, killed the fourth person, fifth, sixth, and the seventh person,” Mr X said.

Mr X also hooked up with another hitman, and they did drive-by shootings of their rivals, burnt people’s cars, and captured and tortured people.

Turnaround of his life

His line of work came with traumatic experiences which sunk him deep into drugs and substance abuse.

Mr X decided it was time he left the gang, even if it came to a point of taking a life to protect his own.

“I went deeper into smoking drugs and at night, I couldn’t sleep. I saw the victims’ faces; I could hear their screams and emotions ran through my mind. The hardest thing ever was not being able to face my mother. I was a completely different person,” he explained.

Whenever his family tried taking him to rehab, he kept relapsing. He was tired of having blood on his hands.

“I came across three guys, where one guy recognised my face and the third one pulled out a gun. When he tried pulling a trigger, the gun jammed about five times. I ran off and he fired three shots. To stay alive, I lived on the streets and ate out of dustbins for almost a year,” Mr X explained.

Even though he was on the streets and often found himself dwelling in places where he could have died, he never lost faith.

It was not long until Mr X decided it was time he broke free from the grip of addiction and went back home.

“In February 2023, I got a rehab centre in Brits to take me in and completed the programme later in the year.
“I repented and asked God to work in those people’s hearts to whom I brought pain. I am one year and five months clean and sober. I have been praying more than ever before,” he said.

Changing the face of addiction

After a month of leaving rehab, Mr X met Addict’s Voice and immediately fell in love with their programmes, which have proven to be beneficial to many ex-drug users.

“They offer love and support to people on the streets; those rejected by their families and the world. And ever since, I’ve been involved with them. We pray and do outreach programmes, and through these programmes, I can reach out and assist those who went through a journey similar to mine,” he said.

The father of two said despite being a changed man, there are places he does not go to and things he does not share, for fear of being recognised.

He said he is quite passionate about his journey of taking others from the dark side of the world with the help of Addict’s Voice.

Established in 2020, Addict’s Voice is on a mission to provide a range of possibilities for their programme participants and help them create a life free from drugs.

“Our hearts desire to save lives and bring healing where all else is shattered; to break the chains of addiction. We walk the streets with purpose, power and passion, taking a stand against drugs, street prostitution and our girls being sold within the ring we find ourselves in,” founder of Addict’s Voice, Evette Kruger said.

The organisation offers specially designed services at Ligstad, 32 Van Riebeeck Avenue in Alberton North.

Addict’s Voice welcomes volunteers who want to join a movement of changing lives for the better.

For more information or to donate towards the sustainability of the organisation, contact Evette on 082 966 7438.

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