“Cold reigns,” Kemi Seba talks about his detention conditions in South Africa.

Kemi Seba has broken his silence. In a message published this Thursday from Kgosi Mampuru prison in South Africa, where he claims to have been detained for 66 days, the Pan-African activist provided a detailed account of his detention conditions.

In his account, he describes an environment marked by the low temperatures of the southern winter. “Here it’s winter, the cold prevails,” he writes, explaining that the inmates have to deal with poorly insulated cells against the winds and the lack of hot water for showers.

Kemi Seba also raises health concerns within the penitentiary. According to him, several diseases are circulating among the prisoners. “The flu, chickenpox, or other variants are spreading at the speed of sound,” he asserts.

The activist also draws attention to prison overcrowding. He claims that many inmates are crammed into cells that sometimes host several dozen people. “The imprisoned beings are stacked like pancakes,” he states to illustrate the cramped conditions he observes.

In his testimony, Kemi Seba also reports hygiene problems and believes that the living conditions in some sections of the prison are particularly difficult.

Despite this situation, the activist assures that he remains determined. “Every second spent in this prison only strengthens my determination,” he writes. This testimony provides a glimpse into the daily life that Kemi Seba claims to experience at Kgosi Mampuru prison, one of the most well-known penitentiary facilities in South Africa.

Kemi Seba, whose real name is Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, has been detained in South Africa since April 15, 2026. He was arrested in Pretoria by South African police in connection with an investigation related to violations of immigration legislation and irregular stay, according to local authorities.

During his arrest, he was presented before the South African court alongside his son and a co-defendant. Since then, he has been subject to several successive hearings before the Pretoria court, primarily focused on examining his bail application.

This request has been rejected several times, and the South African justice system has maintained his provisional detention. Furthermore, the court acknowledged the existence of international warrants issued by the Beninese authorities, transmitted via Interpol.