“How Did You Get There?”: Inmate Calls for Accountability Over Prison Food, but SA Remains Unmoved

• A content creator shared a video of a man wearing a yellow prison overall, showing off his meal to express his dissatisfaction with the contents provided behind bars
• The controversial clip appeared on TikTok, where it quickly reached a massive audience of critical viewers who called the man out for his entitlement
• Social media users were unmoved and showed very little sympathy for the man, reminding him that prison is not a luxury hotel

An inmate currently held at an undisclosed South African correctional service, awaiting trial, sparked a heated online debate after sharing a video of his evening meal.

The clip was shared on TikTok by @vuyobene8 in January 2026 and gathered 209K views along with over 2K comments from people who were largely unimpressed by the grievances.

The video begins with the inmate picking up a silver plate containing a portion of pap accompanied by a single boiled egg and a tablespoon of cabbage. He explained to the camera that the meal was intended to be their dinner and expressed his annoyance at the food they were being fed and the amount. He argued that the government provides enough funding to ensure inmates are fed properly, yet they were eating like paupers.

Read also

"I must camp here and learn": Savvy man plans to double his R50k stokvel savings in 2026, SA wowed

The inmate speaks about the quality of food

While he claimed he was not trying to expose any specific individuals, he insisted that the public needed to see how prisoners are being treated by those who are paid to provide food for them. In TikTok user @vuyobene8's video inmate remained firm in his belief that the treatment was unfair for human beings, especially since taxpayers fork out money that is also meant to feed them.

Mzansi is unsettled by the prisoner’s food complaint

The viral clip garnered massive views and comments from an online community that remained largely unmoved by the prisoner’s complaint. Many viewers were quick to tell the man that he should have thought about the food before landing in a cell. Some pointed out that many orphans and unemployed citizens would appreciate a plate of pap and eggs. One viewer from Zimbabwe commented that South African inmates have it easy because prisoners in their country often eat plain pap, and would also get cabbage only on special occasions. Others simply laughed at the entitlement shown in the video and suggested that the man should focus on his legal case rather than the dinner menu.

Read also

"English needed for interviews": Bonga back in the spotlight with video of his mack game, SA amused

User @Asante Mthombeni commented:

"At least you have something to eat. Other people who haven't committed any crimes are struggling daily."

User @Tebogo shared:

"Since 2026. I don't even know what an egg tastes like; you're lucky."

User @Lebowa said:

"Pieter Groenewald doesn't play games with prisoners."

User @Noxolo Mbusooh Nteng commented:

"I am not happy with how my tax is being used. Iqanda lifunani la libiza kanje (what is an egg doing on the plate, they are so expensive). Please onetender asuse iqanda (whoever's got the cooking tender must remove the egg)"."

User @Press asked:

"Never go where you're not invited. Ufike njani apho (How did you get there)?"

User @loyaltyispriceless shared:

"It's better than a Zimbabwe prison. In our prison, they can give you pap alone, you must see to finish. On happy days, it's pap & cabbage or milli rice."

Watch the TikTok video below:

3 Briefly News prison-related articles

Read also

South Africans were amused by a street beggar’s humorous sign at traffic lights

• A heart-wrenching video captured the exact moment a teenager reunited with her father nearly fourteen years after he was incarcerated.
• A young woman shared a video of her emotional journey to visit her imprisoned partner, highlighting the tough reality of visiting a prison.
• A chilling courtroom moment where a man gave his attorney an intimidating stare after receiving a guilty verdict drew the attention of viewers who were concerned about the lawyer's safety.

Source: Briefly News