TikTok is the fastest growing social medium in the world, and it seems almal is getting in on the action.
This week, Ian Cameron, director of community safety for Action Society, 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
— Ian Cameron (@IanCameron23) June 11, 2023
Many Tweeps responded that this was “nothing new”.
On the actual live streaming from jail, there were up to 32 000 mense watching with people asking various questions that included, “How is the food [in prison], is it as bad as everyone says it is?”
Another user was shocked that prisoners had access to an iron, while someone asked that a prisoner explain how he was sentenced, as her son was watching the live show with her.
The Department of Correctional Services was approached for comment by IOL, but hadn’t responded by deadline.
In May, 37 000 cellphones were confiscated in prisons countrywide.
Twenty-four prison officials were subjected to disciplinary proceedings for helping to smokkel cellphones into prisons during the same period.
The Star reported that Gauteng had the highest number of cellphones confiscated at 10 238; KZN 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.