Change Kombane, an ex-convict, was sentenced to three years in prison for identity theft. Her narrative is about survival, resilience, and the effort to break the cycle of violence and crime.

As a survivor of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), her criminal career began when she lived with a physically abusive boyfriend. He expected her to handle all of the household tasks, and although working, her money was insufficient to fulfill his expectations.

Under his bullying, Change Kombane became involved in criminal activity to fund his lifestyle and his other girlfriends. Change's plight became so terrible that the South African Police Service (SAPS) was forced to act after discovering her abused and wounded. They freed her from his grip, but even then, Change continued to struggle to break free from the toxic dependence.

With all her personal documents lost in a car hijacking and no permanent place to stay in Johannesburg, Change was pushed into a life of fraud to pay for rent and support her two children and mother back in Zimbabwe. She continued with the life of crime until the day I was finally arrested.

We are now joined in studio by Change Kombane