Ex-convict Edmose Hadebe (54), who was sentenced in 1991 to
face the hangman’s noose before his death sentence was commuted to life
imprisonment for murdering a fellow imbiber during a beer drink at Big Bhawa in
Makokoba suburb in Bulawayo, became a pastor when he was set free in 2014.
Pastor Hadebe, who was arrested when he was 25 years,
openly shared his stories and struggles with B-Metro, saying following his
release after spending 26 years in prison, he left everything behind in prison
and took with him a burning faith in God.
He said while in prison one day he got on his knees and
asked Jesus to forgive him for his sins and fix his life. And that is when he
decided to enroll for a Diploma in Theology as he knew God was already
preparing him to spread His Word to both inmates and people outside prison. He
is now a pastor at Praise and Worship Centre’s Mthombothemba branch, which
covers Waterford suburb and How Mine area on the outskirts of Bulawayo.
A B-Metro news crew visited him at his home in Riverside
suburb, where he exclusively narrated how God transformed his life during his
26-year stint in prison. He said he spent most of that time reading the Bible
and studying the Bible with as many as 50 inmates, many of whom became
Christians.
It came to light that before he served time for murder,
Pastor Hadebe was a member of the Zimbabwe National Army and with his
accomplices, during their drinking sprees, they abused the name of the armed
forces by beating up people at Big Bhawa in Makokoba.
“Before I got arrested and served time for murder, I was a
member of the Zimbabwe National Army and I was stationed at One Brigade (now
Khumalo Barracks). With my friends, we loved to spend most of our time drinking
beer at Big Bhawa in Makokoba.
“We abused our authority when we formed a group called ‘The
Famous Three’ and it was notorious for assaulting people at this drinking
spot,” he said.
He said it was rare for them to leave the drinking spot in
question without picking a fight as they believed they were superior and
stronger than their civilian counterparts.
“It was, however, unfortunate that one day we had a
misunderstanding with another imbiber, who was also a friend of ours and at the
height of the altercation we stabbed him several times before he fell on the
ground.
When we realised that he was seriously injured we
disappeared from the scene,” he reflects soberly. Pastor Hadebe said when news
filtered the following day that that the person they had stabbed had died, it
affected him since the fight had been triggered by a minor issue that they
could have resolved amicably.
“The police hunted us down and I was the last person to be
picked up. The matter was later referred to court. I languished in remand
prison for more than a year before my imprisonment in 1991.
“I never thought the judge was going to be very hard on me
as the murder was not an intentional killing. After a short stint in jail and
while waiting for my turn to be hanged that is when I decided to repent and
accept Jesus as my personal Saviour. For the three years I had been on death
row I was praying to God everyday asking for mercy and protection. My prayers
were answered when the death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment,” he
said.
He said that is when he realised that God had bigger plans
for him. Pastor Hadebe said when he was transferred from Chikurubi Maximum
Prison in Harare to Khami Remand Prison in Bulawayo, he met Dr Trust Sinjoki,
general overseer of Praise and Worship Centre in Bulawayo and also the patron
of Prison to Praise.
“While I was in prison, it was like Dr Sinjoki had adopted
me to be his son as he started supplying me with stationery and books as I was
now doing my Ordinary Level. With his support I managed to pass seven subjects
and these are Ndebele, English, and Commerce, Accounts, Bible studies, History
and Business Studies.”
He added: “That is when I decided to pursue a diploma in
Theology. This idea was pushed by the life I was experiencing in prison. I have
always kept positive and that’s how I keep going.”
Pastor Hadebe said with the support of Dr Sinjoki they
managed to launch Prison to Praise, a programme to educate and enlighten
inmates on the goodness of accepting Jesus as their Saviour.
“Under Prison to Praise we reached out to ex-inmates and
those who are still serving and as we speak more than 10 pastors were ordained
under this programme,” he said.
Hadebe said in 2014 he was part of prisoners who benefited
under the Presidential Amnesty and this gave him an opportunity to re-unite
with his family and preach the word of God.
“It was one of my prayers to find my parents still alive
and as per my requests I found them still living. Upon my release from prison,
I was given an exceptional reception by my church and it also supported my
wedding. With the confidence they invested in me I was given a branch that I am
currently leading.”
He appreciated the support he got from his family for
nearly three decades while in prison cells. He said he got through all of these
years behind bars by keeping the faith he’d be free one day. As advice to other
ex-convicts, Pastor Hadebe said they should pray and work hard to ward off the
possibility of them going back to jail. B Metro
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