Daily Sun (September 3 2014) - NOBODY DENIES that Tatolo committed serious crimes and deserves to be in prison. It is also known he has been fighting in jail, attacking fellow prisoners as well as warders.
BUT TATOLO'S MUM SAYS HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE BRUTALISED LIKE A NINETEENTH CENTURY SLAVE!
A short video clip taken with a cellphone shows Tatolo Morobe (25) lying on the cement floor in a cell, halfway under a bed. His head and body are shaking uncontrollably like someone having an epileptic fit. His ankles are shackled in chains.
"I accepted it when my son was sentenced because he broke the law," said Tatolo's mother, Dimakatso Morobe (61) from Rus Ter Vaal in the Vaal. "But I believed he would serve his sentence and come back alive. But this video scares me. I wonder if I will ever see him again."
Dimakatso said her son's troubles began shortly after he was sentenced and sent to Sun City Prison near Doornkop, south of Joburg.
"I got phone calls telling me Tatolo was violent towards other inmates," she said.
"And recently I was told my son had beaten a prison official at Sun City."
She said she never believed the messages but on Sunday she saw the video clip. It was sent to her by somebody inside the prison.
"The source told me my son is being harassed and he is left hungry and chained.
"The source said an official told Tatolo that he would pay dearly for attacking and beating him up and he would die like a dog," she said.
Tatolo's sister, Palesa, said it was very painful to see her brother on video.
"I haven't slept since I saw him suffering like that.
"That inhuman official responsible for this must be dealt with," she said.
Palesa said there are reports from prison that Tatolo was ill from a rare disease where he rolls his eyes like an animal.
"Early this year, I was told that I should bring a sangoma to help him.
"I took a sangoma to Tatolo but he didn't get better," said Palesa.
The family said they are praying for the safe return of their son after serving his jail term.
Spokesman for the Department of Correctional Services, Manelisi Wolela said the mandate of the department is to ensure safe, secure and humane detention of inmates and they will not accept any conduct that violates this.
"The offender in the video is an inmate who appeared ‘psychotic and violent'. He had to be lawfully restrained for his own safety and that of other offenders after he assaulted other offenders and a manager at Medium B correctional facility.
"He is currently in the hospital section of the correctional centre and is receiving medical attention," he said. "The allegations that he was starved are far from the truth."
He added that a case of assault has since been opened against the offender at Mondeor Police Station in Joburg, and said an investigation was underway.
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