A bandiet has gone viral after a video of him bragging about the good life behind bars spread like wildfire on social media.
Bornface Banks, who uses the account Bonnybanks Kayz on TikTok, recorded the video inside Goodwood Correctional Centre.
In one of his other videos, the Zimbabwean national talks about how he has been on remand for two years, after being charged with murder, kidnapping, extortion and robbery.
In his latest video posted on Sunday, he shows fellow inmates playing a board game and captioned it: “‘Criminals’ moving time with prison games waiting for the court date.”
The viral video in which he brags about the nice life in jail was shot in June.
A laughing Banks said: “Hello haters, you put us in prison and you think we are suffering. No, my brother, we are doing extremely fine. Look at how happy we are.
“And this morning we had breakfast and in the afternoon we had lunch and we had supper. We are happy.
“We are not even paying rent, we are not buying electricity, nothing my brother.
“We don’t even cook, they give us food for free. We don’t need toiletries, we get them for free. And the education is going to be free in prison.
“If you think we are suffering, no my brother, we are not, you are wrong.”
The video prompted a raid by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) at the prison on Wednesday.
DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said they were appalled by the video.
Nxumalo says: “He is a Zimbabwean national remanded at Goodwood Correctional Centre for kidnapping allegations. A search exercise was conducted and the used cell phone was confiscated.
“The remand detainee will be taken through disciplinary processes.
“Mobile phones are defined as a contraband in correctional centres hence illegal access and usage is a punishable offence.
“DCS is deeply incensed by this behaviour and there shall be strong action and consequences.”
Life behind bars…
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) July 17, 2024
This is an inmate at Goodwood Correctional Centre boasting…the video has gone viral. pic.twitter.com/1jH5OlqeDi
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said it appears that idle hands are the devil’s playground.
Mamabolo adds: “Part of what we have been striving for as a union is to ensure inmates do not idle around within our correctional facilities.
“And the fact that some might brag about living a soft life is demonstrative of the many challenges that still need to be addressed; issues like overcrowding and understaffing, gangsters and the availability of illicit items.
“What we have since called for is that the DCS should become self-sufficient by producing its own food, clothing and furniture.
“This we believe will skill and keep inmates busy, but will also reduce the current re-offending rate which is over 75%.
“The core mandate of the DCS is rehabilitation, and our facilities can't be seen as hotels.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za