Parents worried about killer son's welfare in prison during lockdown
|Published
Durban - TREVOR and Anitha King arrived at the Westville Prison in February eager to see their son, Terino.
But this was the last time the Phoenix couple saw or spoke to him.
When President Cyril Ramaphosa implemented the national lockdown last month, the Department of Correctional Services suspended visits to offenders, for 30 days.
This was aimed at preventing the spread of the virus. Due to the overcrowding at prisons and the alleged unhygienic conditions, the couple fear their son will contract the virus.
King, 21, is serving a 23-year sentence for the murder of pensioner Abdul Kahlik.
Terino King
The 71-year-old was struck by a stray bullet while cycling to a mosque in Greenbury, Phoenix, in 2016.
The shooting was a result of a drug turf war in the area.
In October 2019, the Verulam Magistrate’s Court found King and his co-accused, Sherizaad Lutchman and Owen Naidoo, all 18 at the time, guilty of murder.
They were sentenced in December 2019.
King and Naidoo were sentenced to an effective 23-year imprisonment for murder, attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.
Lutchman was sentenced to an effective 18 years’ imprisonment for murder and attempted murder.
Before the sentencing, King was an awaiting trial prisoner for a year.
Prior to his arrest, King worked as a delivery driver and was a part of his church’s worship team.
Trevor said, during February’s visit, his son complained the prison cell was overcrowded.
“He said there were 32 people in the cell and they were sleeping closely, as there was no space for them to move. He said there was one toilet and two communal showers.”
The 53-year-old added that, when they visited, they deposited money into his prison account.
“The deposits can only be done at the premises. This allows him to buy whatever he needs from the on-site shop, including toiletries. We could not visit him in March or April due to the lockdown and we are not allowed to call him. We don’t know anything about his welfare and we cannot send money or hygiene products to assist him.”
Anitha, 51, said she worried because King was asthmatic and his health could be compromised.
“We go to bed crying. We wake up crying. Terino is all we think about. We cannot eat and we struggle to sleep.
“We fear for his safety. We fear for his health, and not being able to see him or talk to him is killing us. Every night, we pray the government places him under house arrest until a cure is found. It will only take one infected person to spread the virus and Terino is at risk because of his underlying health condition.
“The prisoners cannot practise social distancing or sanitise their hands as often as
they should. How is my son going to be protected?”
She believes her son’s time in prison helped him reflect on what he did.
“He is remorseful for his actions. As parents, we will take full responsibility for him. We don’t want him to die.”
She said the lockdown also affected them financially.
“My husband does odd jobs and is unable to work. I do community work and sometimes get a stipend as a volunteer.”
Kahlik’s son Zainool Zak declined to comment.