He dreamed of becoming a priest

On 17 October 2007, 16-year-old Jonathan Matondo was shot dead in a Sheffield park.

On 18 October 2007, The Sheffield Star reported thus:

"A teenager shot dead in a Sheffield park WAS A CHURCHGOER WHO HAD DREAMS OF BECOMING A PRIEST... Jonathan Matondo from Burngreave was gunned down in a recreation area on Nottingham Cliff yesterday...

In an emotional press conference, his uncle Armand Vibila paid tribute to a ‘WONDERFUL, FUNNY BOY’ WHO REGULARLY ATTENDED CHURCH. He said… ‘HE WAS SUCH A GOOD BOY AND SO FUNNY’…

And Rev of his local church Jack Kinsiona, said… ‘JONATHAN WAS A GREAT PERSON. He had been to my church on many occasions and he had told ME 'I WANT TO BE A PREACHER', to which I said yes’…

Jonathan, an aspiring local MC, was shot dead at about 7.30pm AS POLICE ATTENDED A PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS WAYS OF IMPROVING COMMUNITY RELATIONS IN THE AREA WHICH HAS BEEN PLAGUED BY GUN CRIME…

Robert Smith, of free community newsletter the Burngreave Messenger… describing the shooting as the result of ‘inner city internal warfare’… claims FOUR YOUTHS, ALL CARRYING GUNS, WERE SPOTTED WAITING OUTSIDE THE HOUSE AND ‘POPPING SHOTS’ AT ANYONE WHO LEFT."

On 19 October 2007, the 24dash.com web site reported thus:

"Residents have blamed POSTCODE GANG WARFARE for the shooting death of a teenager WHO HOPED TO ONE DAY BECOME A PRIEST… Worried residents… said they were becoming INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT GANG PROBLEMS IN THE AREA.

Resident Robert Smith, writing on the website of the Burngreave Messenger, said… 'Today in Burngreave, Sheffield WE HAVE REACHED ANOTHER NEW LEVEL IN AN INNER CITY INTERNAL WARFARE THAT IS SEEING YOUNG PEOPLE FIRING GUNS AS THOUGH PLAYING A VIDEO AMUSEMENT GAME WITH LIFE'...

At a press conference Jonathan's vicar said the 16-year-old was a regular churchgoer and had talked about becoming a priest. ‘HE WAS A GOOD PERSON,’ said the Rev Jack Kinsiona, from the Light of Christ Church, in Burngreave, who was in tears as he remembered the youngster. 'I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT JONATHAN WAS NOT BAD. HE'S NOT A BAD PERSON. HE WAS A VERY, VERY, VERY GREAT PERSON'."

On 20 October 2007, The Sun reported thus:

"The mum of a 16-year-old gunned down in a gang feud sobbed yesterday as she begged people to help detectives catch the killers of her ‘precious son’. Theresa Matondo revealed that SHE FLED WAR-TORN CONGO FOR THE UK when Jonathan was just two in a bid to give him a better life.

Jonathan – WHO WANTED TO BE A PRIEST – was shot once in the head in a park 300 yards from home three days ago. He was CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE of a ‘post-code-gang’ feud in Sheffield, South Yorks".

On 23 October 2007, UK News told us this:

"Jonathan's mother has appealed for information to help find her son's killer. A statement released by South Yorkshire Police on behalf of Therese Mfuilu said: 'Since moving to England, Jonathan and I have stayed in many areas of Sheffield. In each area we have lived, he made friends. Jonathan has many friends all over the city… Help me find why this happened to my precious son, my only son.'

She told how rapper Jonathan regularly attended bible class."

On 29 October 2007, a list of eulogies to Jonathan was presented at The Sheffield Star web site. Here are some of the things that were said: (spelling and punctuation exactly as was)

"He Was One Of The Funniest, Nicest, Most Talented People In This World."

"He Was One Of The Most Popular And Loved People You Would Ever Come Across."

"One Of The Safest Boiz I No."

"Talented,Reliable,Trustworthy."

"God Takes The Good Ones First Init!"

"e woz da safest guy eva n also a veri talentd mc. e ad da potential 2go far."

"you was 1 of a kind every1 loved u."

"You are a verry special boy."

"u had a heart ov gold."

"you were the light in a dark room."

"you really are a heart of gold."

"im guna thank God for puttin one of his angels, Jonathan, on this earth."

"u av gone but u wil neva b 4gten."

"Ven woz a gd friend reliable,trustworthy."

"Venomous was truely a very safe boi!!"

And that's interesting. Because the 16-year-old who wanted to be a priest, (and a rapper) well, his street name was Venomous. Here are some of the other things that were said during The Sheffield Star eulogies:

"ur my big bad general .. u died like a solider living the life you loved."

"R.I.P GENERAL VEN GANGSTA 4 LIFE."

"AS A GANGSTA ULL NOT BE FORGOTTEN."

"True Badman General!!"

"some people just got it twisted thinkin u was just bad."

"i no your not angel."

"u woz a tru Sheff solja."

In the spirit of helping Jonathan's mother 'find why this happened' to her son, the 19 October 2007, 24dash.com report also said this:

"One man, who lives in Rock Street, said he believed Jonathan was followed into the park... Another man who lives very close to the park and knew Jonathan said the shooting was related to gang rivalry between different postcode areas of the city. He said: ‘IT IS ABOUT GANGS. IT'S THAT SIMPLE. IT'S S3 VERSUS S5 VERSUS S4. THIS WAS ALL ABOUT ONE LAD FROM ONE AREA WINDING UP THOSE FROM ANOTHER AREA. ‘I'VE ALSO HEARD THAT IT WAS AN ARGUMENT OVER AS LITTLE AS £50’…

Resident Douglas Johnson said everybody in the area thought the death was related to drug dealing… Advice worker Mr Johnson said: ‘THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DRUG DEALING ACTIVITY GOES ON. KIDS GET INVOLVED AND START PLAYING WITH GUNS'."

On 4 November 2008, The Sheffield Star filled in the gaps that had previously only been hinted at:

"A murdered Sheffield teenager WAS CARRYING COCAINE AND HEROIN when he was shot dead in a children's playground… Police retrieved ‘a handful’ of wraps of cocaine and heroin from Jonathan's body after he was murdered AND DETECTIVES SAY THEY BELIEVE HE WAS A DRUG DEALER.

Detectives believe the assassination was THE ESCALATION OF A POSTCODE GANG WAR BETWEEN THE S3 AND S4 GANGS IN PITSMOOR AND BURNGREAVE - WITH DRUGS AT THE HEART OF THE DISPUTE. Negus Nelson… was cleared of Jonathan's murder at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday.

JONATHAN HAD BEEN CARRYING A GUN ON THE DAY HE WAS MURDERED but when he was shot dead the weapon had vanished and has never been recovered.

Detective Superintendent Martyn Bates, who is overseeing the murder investigation, said: 'Jonathan Matondo was A YOUNG LAD ON THE PERIPHERY OF DRUG DEALING, just starting out. In my experience the age of the people getting involved in dealing has not changed over the last five to 10 years, but what has changed is THE WEAPONS THEY ARE NOW CARRYING, GUNS...

A FRIEND SAW JONATHAN CARRYING A GUN when he was shot at three hours before his murder but we never found one on him at the murder scene. A witness spoke of SOMEONE SEARCHING THROUGH HIS POCKETS AFTER THE SHOOTING AND REMOVING WHAT THEY BELIEVED TO BE A GUN… I hope others learn from what happened to him so that he and his friends are not just replaced by others wanting to get involved, thinking there is SOME GLORY TO BEING A GANG MEMBER… We are working hard to deter young people from getting drawn in and GOING DOWN THE SAME PATH AS JONATHAN.

Jonathan was shot at with two different guns in what detectives believe was an assassination organised IN REVENGE FOR AN ATTACK ON AN ALLEGED S4 MEMBER'S HOME THE NIGHT BEFORE, for which S3 was held responsible'."

So, in 2007 Jonathan Matondo was a would-be priest, a 'good boy,' a 'wonderful; funny boy who regularly attended church,' 'a very, very, very, very great person,' 'a precious son,' and 'a nice, gawguss, funny young lad.' With a bit of would-be rapper, MC, gangsta, solja and 'true badman General' thrown in. In 2008, he was just some 'drug dealer... carrying a gun.'

Let me tell you what Jonathan was most of all. He was the son of a woman who 'fled war-torn Congo for the UK when Jonathan was just two.' To enrich us lucky Brits with the multicult difference of her war-torn self and her war-torn son.

Within the Sheffield Star eulogies paid to the drug-dealing gunman on 29 October 2007, Andrew of Pitsmoor said:

"No doubt the police will say this is just another ISOLATED INCIDENT!!! Believe you me, this is by no way an isolated incident. Ive lived in Pitsmoor most of my life and I've never known it as bad as this. All youve got to to do is spend a night on the CARWOOD ESTATE just to see what I mean."

Blade, 'living in California,' said this:

"I grew up in that area and went to Pye bank junior... It's really gone to the dogs, all these wannabe tough guys running around with weapons... What happened to fighting like a man instead of shooting someone in the back?"

Canadablade in Canada said:

"We left Sheffield because the writing was on the wall. The politicians do not care. They will never live on these estates. I can not see it improving now, kids have got away with too much. Stiffer sentences are needed. There are no deterents."

There will be no stiffer sentences and no extra deterrents, Canadablade.

The animals at the bottom of the tree are the footsoldiers of the animals at the top in their everlasting war upon the rest of us. It IS war, you know. It always was, it always will be. If you want your country back, ladies and gentlemen, if you don't want to be forced off the island where all your ancestors are buried, like 250,000 are every year right now, you're going to have to fight for it. You are going to have to take up arms against those who have been at war with you since the second world war ended.

And, in order to get to that point, you are going to have to find the courage to answer this one question correctly:

Enoch was right, wasn't he?