Allan Heyl
Former Stander gang member now shares his unforgettable message

If anyone should know just how much crime DOES NOT pay, or why the choices one makes as a young person WILL resound for the rest of your life - it’s Allan Heyl.

On 18 May, 2005, Allan Heyl, the only surviving member of the notorious Stander gang, was released from the Krugersdorp Prison having served a sentence of more than 27 years behind bars, both in South Africa and England. The Stander gang was responsible for a string of bank robberies and prison escapes during the early 1980’s.

Having “wasted” more than half his life, Heyl shares what can only be described as one of the most memorable and inspiring tales you are likely to hear for a long time.  His story is about his journey down a slippery slide that started in an average working class family and ended – or so it seemed, in a state of utter helplessness and dysfunction; but somehow along the way, he caught fleeting glimpses of other people functioning and interacting with society in a way that he just couldn’t relate to, but something inside told him that one day he might.

His story highlights the profound lessons learnt, which enabled him, against all the odds, to resume a place in society; to overcome major personality defects/flaws such as: intolerance, impatience, a shattered self image (formed in his youth and certainly not uncommon) as well as chronic depression, a vile temper and emotional bankruptcy.

But his story is overwhelmingly one of hope as his release in May 2005 has shown. Allan Heyl is now back “in the real world”, operating as a functional rational person. The term of his sentence never changed, but the manner in which he dealt with it did – and he survived what should have been the un-survivable.

Like every high-achieving person, he got his rewards.  In this case, recognition, approbation and the ultimate incentive trip – a chance to create a brand new ending.