Interview with Shepherd Pani

Never Beyond Hope is the amazing biography of Shepherd Pani who grew up in a township in Cape Town, never learnt to read or write at school, ended up smuggling cocaine, got caught, and met Jesus radically in prison.  

Shepherd’s story shows that no matter where you have come from, or what you have done, Jesus can bring hope and restoration. 

Shepherd, can you tell us a little about yourself? 

Hello everyone. I am a husband and father of four. I am born again and love the Lord. I am a coffee specialist. I grew up in a township in South Africa and got saved in prison after being convicted for smuggling drugs.  

When I took the risk of swallowing drugs, I was in a moment of desperation. I was a young man, my father had just passed away, I was the first born of the family and there was now no one to provide for us. So I took that responsibility on. I had no education to succeed and earn money, and I saw people that did have money through smuggling cocaine so the only option I had was to the same because I was desperate.  

God saved my life even though I could have died when those drugs were inside me. God protected me even when I didn’t know him. That’s the beautiful thing! God kept me safe until I met him in prison. Since I have met Jesus, I can’t see myself ever going back to that life – even if someone promised me the whole world! 

Why did you decide to write Never Beyond Hope?  

I have always shared my story with radio stations and organisations, but I had never thought of writing a book. But God spoke to a Christian brother, and he thought that the story was so powerful that others needed to hear it. So I took that as God using someone to help this book be published! I really think that God wants people to hear about what he has done and what he can do through the life of an individual who surrenders his life to him.  

Who have you written this book for?  

I hope this book will reach young men and women, and people who have found themselves in hopeless situations in the darkest pit. I hope that they can grab the book and that God can lift them up so they can see Christ and see the redemption power that is available at the cross. I have written this for the gospel to be spread. 

Looking at yourself today, it is hard to imagine that you smuggled drugs. Meeting Jesus has radically transformed your life – can you share a little about what difference God has made in your life? 

I remember moments in my past life before getting saved where I was a very discouraged person. I had no hope at all. I could not read and write and that led me into drinking alcohol and habits that were negative because of the void and the shame because I did not think I could be anything in life. I wanted to accomplish a lot. I wanted to be successful. I remember a point when I wanted to commit suicide. I was not working, as I could not read. So the enemy really used those inner battles to really drive me into despair and hopelessness.  

But when I got saved and the Lord changed my life, I believed that there was nothing too difficult and I could do anything. I overcame the challenge of being able to read and write by the power of the Holy Spirit. I give God the glory for changing me. Christ in me helps me see life totally differently. There is no challenge now that I think I can’t do because of the light of God’s Spirit in me.  

The Lord has made a difference in my life in so many ways. I give God the glory each and every day. Today I am a father, a husband, a faithful servant to God. Wherever I go I try and mention the gospel. I am living a righteous life. The gospel has made a huge impact in my life - that decision that I took to surrender my life to Jesus really transformed my life. 

You taught yourself to read with the Bible, which is an incredible feat! Can you talk a little more about this? 

When I taught myself to read from the Bible I was about 22 and in prison. Just after I was saved, the preacher said how important it was to get to know our Creator God through reading the Bible. And this was a huge stumbling block before me. After the service I prayed to the Lord, ‘if you really are true and exist, help me to read the Bible because I need to know you.’ Then I took the step of taking the small Gideon Bible that I had and I started reading the words that I understood and highlighting the words that I didn’t and used a dictionary that was available in the prison. Slowly I started developing a deeper hunger to spend time in the Bible. At lunchtimes, after I had eaten, I would go back to my cell and I would read the Bible until I managed to read properly and was able to do some courses.  

Not being able to read was something that the enemy used to rob me of my childhood. I dropped out of school because I couldn’t read. I felt I was insignificant, I didn’t understand why I couldn’t read and write and that broke me and gave me low self-esteem. But through the Bible I found my identity in Christ and the victim mentality went away. 

What do you hope readers will most get out of reading this book? 

I hope that as they read this book they will find Jesus on each page. They will just see him, they won’t see me. 

What would you say to someone who is spiralling down with bad choices? 

Whatever difficult time you are going through right now, know that there is a God that is among us who is Emmanuel. It says in his Word that we should call on him, and he promises that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. So if you are facing a difficult time, call upon the Lord, he is there. He will rescue you. He wants to have a relationship with you. He will guide you. Speak to him - just a simple prayer. He is listening and he knows you by name. He knows the number of hairs on your head. Call on the name of Jesus and you will be saved. 

Is there anything we can pray for you? 

Please pray that God will continue what he has started in my life. That God will help me find the strength to share the gospel. Pray for my family, pray for my children, and that God would keep me on this journey, walking faithfully before him.