Stick to studying , Mandela tells Babeile

Former president Nelson Mandela on Friday gave jailed student Andrew Babeile R20 000 to further his studies while in the Kimberley Prison, the African National Congress Youth League said. Mandela is said to have told Babeile: ”I am here to tell you that you must study whether you are in jail or not. Education is the key to success and many people who are successful today some studied while in jail.” The teenager is currently serving three years imprisonment for stabbing schoolmate Christoffel Erasmus with a pair of scissors in 1999 at the height of racial tension at the Vryburg High School. Mandela also told Babeile that he was confident that the appeal against his jail term would be successful. Mandela reportedly refused to comment further on the matter saying he had only wanted to encourage Babeile to study. – Sapa