Delivering a motivational speech in front of over 200 people at Vosloorus Civic Centre on Thursday, May 11, Seakamela said being in prison was a blessing in disguise.
“The most important thing is that I accepted Jesus Christ while I was inside the correctional services,” said Seakamela.
He said for the past 17 years he was not around to serve his purpose because of the wrong choices he made in life.
“I grew up as a quiet guy having a lot of respect for people around me. I was also doing very well in my studies at primary school. Because of the quiet and good person that I was I suffered a lot bullying. I ended up mixing with the wrong crowd because I wanted to be popular. It led me to drinking, smoking and parties,” said Seakamela.
He said he lost focus on his school work.
“I ended up not doing very well at all and turned to crime.
“I started off small by stealing small appliances from the house and selling them so that I could have money to drink with my popular friends. After that I found myself involved in big crimes like robbery and hijacking,” Seakamela explained.
He said things became bad when he was arrested for murder and robbery in 1998.
“I was in Bloemfontein when I was arrested in 1998. I attended my trial and was later sentenced life in prison. So far I have served 17 years and six months of my sentence,” Seakamela said.
Seakamela said being in prison made him realise that he has leadership skills.
“I have also found that I have skills to motivate people. When I get out of here I will start my own motivational company and create job opportunities. Currently I am busy writing my own book. It is about my life struggle. I have included the challenges of my life since I was a child and my life in prison,” said Seakamela.
He said his biggest regret in life is that he has not yet started a family.
“When I grew up I wanted to be married by this time, have my own family and my own house and probably a decent car. But being in prison took all that away from me. I do not even have a child of my own,” said Seakamela.
He said the biggest mistake he made in life was to mix with the wrong crowd and end up doing drugs.
“I would like to appeal to you all as young adults not to take any form of drug. There is no drug that is better than the other. All drugs destroy minds. If you have not started, keep it that way. If you have started, stop before it is too late,” Seakamela concluded.
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