COMMENT

"Jub Jub's a VIP in jail!" - Daily Sun

The front page and lead story of SA's largest daily newspaper, December 19 2013

Daily Sun (December 19 2013) - A WOMAN close to road race killer Molemo "Jub Jub" Maarohanye was sure he would never survive in prison. So she allegedly decided to do whatever it took to protect the hip hop star and get him VIP treatment.

THIS ALLEGEDLY INCLUDED HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HEAD OF JOBURG PRISON'S MEDIUM C CENTRE.

Now Daily Sun has been told by a staff member and an inmate that Jub Jub is untouchable and lives a life of privileged comfort behind bars.

The inmate alleged that the woman and section head Sam Maphuthuma started their relationship when Jub Jub was transferred from Medium B to Medium C.

The woman allegedly begged Maphuthuma to protect Jub Jub. And since that day, Jub Jub chats to friends on Whatsapp whenever he likes without fear of punishment. In March it was reported widely that he had used a cellphone to invite friends to a graduation ceremony at the prison.

The inmate told Daily Sun that a senior official by the name of Ramasoni tipped Jub Jub off a day before his cell was searched, and told him to get rid of his cellphone.

"He flushed the cellphone. The only thing found was a charger. Soon after that he got a new phone," said the inmate.

Then, according to the prison staffer and the inmate, Jub Jub tried to have cocaine smuggled into jail in a muscle supplement package.

The package was confiscated and tested positive for cocaine.

But, they said, Jub Jub never faced charges or punishment. Instead, a senior official was suspended! "Since then gym supplements were completely banned from prison," said the inmate.

He claimed that Jub Jub gets visits longer than the allowed 45 minutes maximum.

"Other inmates found with cellphones are taken to the "Bomb Cells" where they are punished for 42 days, with all their privileges taken away - but not Jub Jub." He said Jub Jub is untouchable. All other inmates are victimised, but not him.

"We want to expose the ill-treatment and victimisation we experience just because we are not famous and our families are not politically connected like Jub Jub's."

He said other inmates wanted equality as prisoners. Correctional Services spokesman Ofentse Morwane said yesterday he could not get hold of the head of Medium C, but promised to give Daily Sun a detailed report on the drug issue today.

 Morwane also said he couldn't confirm or deny if there was a relationship between the woman and the centre head. "As long as their relationship doesn't interfere with his work, there is no problem," said Morwane.

He said prison officials had conducted a number of searches in Jub Jub's cell, and confirmed a charger was found but no cellphone.

See the Daily Sun mobi site for more on this and other stories....

 

The Daily Sun is South Africa's largest daily newspaper with an average circulation of 291,132 (Audit Bureau of Circulations 3rd Quarter 2013) and a readership of 5.7m (as per AMPS 2012ab). Its Facebook page can be accessed here. It can be followed on Twitter here. To find about advertising on the Daily Sun click here.

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