David Mondondo Research Paper

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we are here for the trial of David Mondondo. Your honor Tsotsi is a young boy that has gone through situations that any human with rights should not experience. Life in South Africa is not simple for many people and it has been due to the apartheid. The apartheid has separated families, ruining their lives, making them difficult. David Mondondo that goes by the name of Tsotsi is innocent for the following reasons; The laws that the government of South Africa has implemented, have affected David. On the other hand David is a young boy that doesn't take smart decisions just like any youths. Also David’s efforts to become principled person show beyond doubt that he is changing .

The apartheid change Tsotsi’s life as he named himself, after his mother was taken during a police raid and his father abandoned him. Tsotsi was alone, so he ran away. Living in pipes where he was taken by the river gang where he learned everything that he knew. Tsotsi did not attend school, he never had an education and he was surrounded by failure and lack of opportunities
where all seems like a cycle that looks impossible to break out of. According to a town eyewitness ¨ when neighbor missed neighbor because the slum clearance men had been at work in the area and a few more roofs were down and the walls without doors and windows’’ (Fugard 6). This evidence shows in how much poverty these people are living in. And how impossible is to improve your lifestyle living in such indigent conditions. This proves that living in such conditions and force to care of himself affected his life, so he shouldn't be held responsible for the mistakes he made. David Mondondo was young and he didn't make smart decisions.
David was easy to influence since he was on the street at a surly young age. On account of his separation from his family at the age of 10. His mother was taken by the police, but his father just left and never came back. According to David that witness the moment that his mom was arrested, the police “stretched out their hands and got her out of bed and then dragged her to the door…..and put their boots down on her protests” the last words that David heard from his mom was ¨Don't cry, David¨ (Fugard 151-2) and he stayed alone. David didn't have anyone to guide him. The only impact he got was from gang members, despicable people, that took care of young David and feed him. The police that harshly arrested his mom, neglected the kid that they left behind with no guardian, showing how deprave the system
is.

After the mistakes that David committed he decided to change for the better. David took excellent care of the baby that was given to him. Moreover David follows a cripple named Morris after accidently he step on his hand. He follows him into he was alone with the intention of talking to Morris. David never touches cripple, despite the fact that the cripple was an easy target and vulnerable . An addition to that, David also ends the gang that he was in, for the only reason that he needs to change for the better. David answer to one of his friends “ no Aap. you're wrong, we don't start again ….. Its finished ¨ (Fugard 174). This shows that David ended the gang himself now that he honestly want to change, proving that he deserves a second chance.

David is innocent since he was just a victim of the of the South African government system. David admits his mistake, therefore he is willing to pay for his acts, so he should be receiving 100 hours of community service that will take him six months to complete. Regardless of all the mistake he committed, life was challenging for David Mondondo, for the simple reason that he was separated from the person he loved the most. Furthermore, he wasn't love by anybody and his whole life he lived in pain and anger as a cause of the injustice that is happening here in South Africa. As David public defender, I believe that he's not the one to blame for his actions.