Kimberley doctor shares path from gang violence to medicine

AS GANG violence continues to spiral out of control on the Cape Flats, a Kimberley-based doctor – the nephew of former Hard Livings gang bosses Rashied and Rashaad Staggie, and the son of an ex-gangster – has taken the bold step of telling his story of how he shaped his destiny and became a medical doctor.

Dr Niklo Staggie hopes his story will evoke a spark and inspire change in the lives of young people, and he lives by this quote: “Not everyone who works hard is rewarded, however, all of those who succeed have worked hard.”

His doctor’s badge proudly reads: “Dr NP Staggie”. From his home being petrol bombed, to his father being imprisoned and later finding redemption and salvation, he tells of how he literally had to walk miles to get to campus.

“I am currently a doctor at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital (RMSH) in Kimberley, working in the internal medicine department as a medical officer, and where I have been for the past five years. I graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2015 with an MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) degree, after which I served my internship years in Bloemfontein, going through the Pelonomi, Universitas and National Hospital circuit,” he told the DFA's sister publication the Cape Argus.

“After my two years of internship, I completed my community service year with the South African National Defence Force at the Makhado Air Force Base in Limpopo. Once I became a medical officer, I followed my wife to Kimberley to gain experience.”

Niklo and his brother, Jason Staggie, a filmmaker and director, released a film about their family life two years ago, titled Hard Living.

Niklo and Jason witnessed their uncle Rashaad Staggie’s death on television, and a year later their home was petrol bombed.

They are the sons of Solomon Staggie and were just children when their father was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years behind bars.

Solomon is the brother of slain twins Rashaad and Rashied Staggie, who were former Hard Livings gang bosses.

Rashaad was murdered during a vigilante attack by People Against Gangsterism and Drugs in 1996 in London Road, Salt River, where he was set alight. Rashied was shot and killed in 2019 in the same street.

Solomon is the founder of Voice of the Voiceless and is a born-again Christian who aims to give children a voice from a young age through community work and spirituality. Together, the family is building the Staggie legacy, forged in their devotion to God, youth upliftment and success.

Solomon was sentenced in 1999 after being arrested in 1998 on gang-related charges and was released from prison in 2015.

Niklo described how his family faced harassment by police and the courage it took to move on despite being penniless, living on faith and hard work.

“This feeling was further perpetuated by events like the police pulling us over while in full gear, just to search my dad, with no concern for my younger sister and I sitting in the car,” he said.

“As the years passed, I realised that many people believed that I wasn't really going to do anything with my life (including family members and teachers), assuming that the path of my father would be mine, and during those years, help was hard to come by and it felt as though the surname had a negative sway in this regard.

“As time passed and I established myself in my career, the questions and judgements related to my surname became less, possibly because people forget with time, but I like to believe it's because of my character and me establishing myself in a career path that few thought the son of a gangster would be able to accomplish.”

He said his childhood and young adulthood were rough but beautiful, with his mother being the anchor as a school teacher who kept the family together, even after their home was petrol bombed.

“The events leading up to my uncle's death in 1996 and for a period after were intense and were smeared with violence and drugs,” he stated.

“This was the time my mother became my hero. She stood against all of this, protecting us as best she could and at times having to physically fight, by herself, against all of the craziness.

“As I said, the trickling became a waterfall and eventually the gangs petrol bombed our house in Ottery in an attempt to get my dad, and we had to move on to a house in Parow North, which would also be taken away from us, leaving us without a solid home for many years.

“Eventually, my father was imprisoned, and the outing to the prison became a regular event, filled with emotion and drama. The years passed, and on the outside (of prison), we continued to struggle, eventually losing practically everything. At this time, my mom wasn't working, we no longer had a house, and we eventually had to sell our car.

“With all of this happening, studying was always difficult, but somehow we managed to do OK. Eventually, my mom managed to get a new job as a teacher and this led to new possibilities, especially since we were not really getting much support at the time.

“Things slowly got better from this point onwards, and even though it wasn't perfect – having issues where we didn't have electricity for months and having to make a fire every night to make hot water and cook food, to my room flooding and me moving into the lounge – those are some of my most fond memories.”

Niklo tells of the sacrifices he made to get to university, penniless but not hopeless:

“My time at varsity was a bit less uneventful. Yes, I had difficulty in always attaining all the textbooks, but at the same time, I didn't make the most of what was available in the libraries and on campus. Occasionally, I had to walk to varsity from Wynberg or sneak onto the train without paying because of a lack of funds, but I couldn't complain – life was good, and to be fair, I had a great time at varsity with some good people.

“Eventually, I managed to get funding and even managed to stay on campus for a period of time, and life slowly but surely started turning for the better.”

He said he believes his life path led him to become a medical doctor:

“Around the time I was in Grade 11, the two paths met, and the medical sciences became a real consideration. At this time, I was at Damelin College, where I was lucky enough to have received a bursary. Here, my passions were fed by the teachers and I was encouraged to pursue an MBChB degree.

“Many years had passed and my father was released from jail, myself on the fringe of completing my degree. We slowly started picking up the pieces, and even though it didn't always fit together perfectly, we managed to squeeze it together and create a better life for ourselves.

“During his prison sentence, my father found Christ and became a man of God.

“We as a family came together and started an NGO to give back to the community. The 'Voice of the Voiceless (VOV)' has been running for many years now, doing charity work in various communities, of which I am currently the director.”

He said the message he would share with the youth is one that encompasses hard work.

“The unwavering faith comes from the knowledge that you are uniquely made in the image of God and that ‘we are all the chosen ones’ (as my uncle Rashied’s tattoo on his back stated). No matter how you think about it, your presence on this earth is a beautiful and miraculous event and should be cherished for what it is.

“The persistence and hard work stuck with me through a phrase that I heard while watching an anime called Ippo Makunouchi, where the coach tells him that ‘Not everyone who works hard is rewarded; however, all of those who succeed have worked hard’. The clarity in the phrase and the genuineness of the words within the context of Cape Town tell you exactly what needs to be done.

“The means in which I believe the narrative will change is if we can empower the youth with information, knowledge, helping to identify the means to their goals, and essentially teaching people how to fish instead of merely providing the fish. This will need to be done in a holistic manner to cater for the complexities of each individual living in these communities.”

Jason said he was proud of his brother for changing the narrative.

“Young people, more so than others, are perceptible to what others think of them. It can genuinely erode someone's confidence and drive, and make them believe they cannot do better or that they're worthless due to their family, lack of a father, their skin tone, accent or the area they come from.

“We've faced this as Staggies in South Africa, and I believe every disadvantaged person faces this when they attempt to ‘punch above their weight’. Niklo and I navigated this minefield, and I absolutely believe others can, too.”