A long time ago, a man named Jesus Christ said of his persecutors: "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Around 2006 years and a few months later, a man named Tony Yengeni, speaking of his own persecutors, repeated the words. Moments later he entered Pollsmoor Prison.

At daybreak yesterday, a dozen journalists dodged doggy poo on the grassy verge - and began a long wait outside Yengeni's house in Tijgerhof.

No one was sure whether he was inside.

By 11am, the quiet neighbourhood was clogged with visitors and cars - fast and flashy - were mounted on pavements and double-parked. This was, indeed, where Yengeni had spent his last night as a free man.

The Yengeni family home is two blocks back from Koeberg Road in the vicinity of the Centrepoint shopping centre.

Visitors began to trickle into the modest house at 9.30am, welcomed by a friendly dalmation behind the Vibracrete garden wall.

The first of the "big guns" - Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad - arrived at 10.30am.

Half an hour later, blue lights flashing in the street heralded the arrival of two more shiny black cars - a BMW X5 and an Audi A8, one of them carrying Premier Ebrahim Rasool.

Meanwhile, Yengeni's son, Mandla, had apparently been assigned "vehicle duty", and he constantly left the house and then returned, first in his black Golf V, then in a black Mercedes Kompressor, then in another swish black beast.

"They clearly have a thing for black cars," one spectator murmured.

During the morning, the Yengeni household was beset by a number of electrical problems.

First the house alarm went off and could apparently not be switched off. An ADT security system installer arrived to try to fix the problem. Then the home's electric sliding gate was knocked off its rails by the electric garage door when someone tried to open both at the same time.

Rasool's security guards and helpful journalists scratched their chins on how to solve the problem.

At around midday, guests began pouring out and excitement mounted on the street.

The garage door opened without a hitch this time. Inside growled the world's most desired 4x4, a black Range Rover Sport.

Yengeni, in the front passenger seat, sat motionless as photographers surged forward and clicked rabidly.

The cavalcade sped off, led by a silver Mercedes carrying ANC provincial chairman James Ngculu and the ANC's Max Ozinsky.

The first traffic law was broken 200 metres down the road. The Yengeni procession was clearly not in the mood for waiting behind queuing traffic and demanded right of way.

The first red traffic light was skipped 500m down Koeberg Road.

At Steenberg Road, 15km away, a hero's welcome awaited Yengeni.

As he listened to the high-powered speakers, he chewed gum furiously.

When he finally spoke, his lip trembled, but he roared like a lion: "Those who think prison will break me are in for a very big surprise!"

• In yesterday's report we incorrectly stated that ANC MP Lerumo Kalako was also a Western Cape MEC. She is a member of the Provincial Executive Committee.

With acknowledgement to Murray Williams and Cape Argus.