Durban – While TikTok is the fastest growing social medium in the world, it seems everyone is getting in on the action.
This week Ian Cameron, Action Society director of community safety, said he was concerned about the number of videos circulating of inmates going live on TikTok.
Cameron tweeted: “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.”
The video has since gone viral on social media.
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. pic.twitter.com/GKhEeaC4e2
Many Tweeps responded that this was “nothing new”.
On the actual live streaming, there were up to 32 000 people watching with people asking various questions which included: “How is the food (in prison), is it as bad as everyone says it is?”
With another user shocked that prisoners had access to an iron.
Another user requested that the prisoner tell his story of how he was sentenced, as her son was watching the live with her.
The Department of Correctional Services have been approached for comment.
In May 37 000 cellphones were confiscated in prisons countrywide in the 2022/23 financial year.
A total of 24 prison officials were subjected to disciplinary proceedings for their role in smuggling cellphones into prisons during the same period.
The Star reported that Gauteng had the highest number of cellphones confiscated at 10 238; KwaZulu-Natal 7 628; the Western Cape 6 161; Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West 5 167; the Eastern Cape 4 501; and the Free State and Northern Cape regions 3 548.
IOL