South Africans have debated whether or not prisoners should be allowed social media accounts behind bars. Images via TikTok: @babakspheangel
PrisonTok: SA shares concern over prisoners on social media
Do prisoners deserve the right to use social media? The subject is being debated online after SA prisoners at went live on TikTok.
South Africans have debated whether or not prisoners should be allowed social media accounts behind bars. Images via TikTok: @babakspheangel
Since the escape of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester from the Manguang Prison in May last year, a big spotlight has been thrust on South African prisons. Locals are continuing to lose faith in the country’s penitentiary system — especially after watching prisoners do live videos on social media apps such as Facebook and TikTok.
One particularly concerned social media user shared snippets of a few of the aforementioned live videos online. This has sparked an outcry from many others who are calling on the Minister of Justice, Ronald Lamola, to intervene.
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SA concerned over prisoners on social media
When imagining prisoner, the picture of neatly dressed convicts following a strict schedule and being confined to a small room alone comes to mind for most South Africans.
This however, has proven not to be the case in many of the country’s prison.
Earlier this year, a man dubbed “The Facebook Rapist” went viral after his escape from prison was uncovered.
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The REAL life of a prisoner
A look into his prison life reveals that he had spent most of his time there wearing civilian clothing and running successful businesses.
Shocking reports also alleged that Bester had been leaving the prison grounds to have private time with the woman who helped him escape – disgraced doctor, Nandipha Magudumana.
The news definitely gave locals a glimpse of what prisons are really like in SA and now prisoners of TikTok have completely lifted the curtain.
Anything and everything for the views?
Heading to Twitter, concerned citizen @IanCameron23 shared snippets of live videos coming directly from prison cells here in SA.
The live TikTok videos — taken by prisoners — show TikTokers what it looks like inside the cell filled with a number of prisoners who are simply going about their business.
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Having a cellphone with internet certainly doesn’t appear to be unusual for the other prisoners who appear used to being captured on live videos.
This has come as a great surprise to Ian Cameron who demanded Lamola take action after seeing a TikTok account with the handle @babakspheangel go live from prison:
“Receiving increasing reports of convicts doing live-streaming on TikTok etc from prison. We know things are messed up, but every day I become more aware that criminals in South Africa have more rights than law-abiding citizens. @RonaldLamola your incompetence is remarkable,” he captioned the video.
Heading to the comment section, other South Africans criticised the government while a few remarked that the prisoners should be allowed to have their cellphones.
What are your thoughts?
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