Cape Town - The Correctional Service deputy minister together with the national commissioner and portfolio committee have met to discuss an overview of the Correctional Supervision and Parole boards after 22 prisoners died in 2023/24 while awaiting assessment.
A further 43 prisoners were recommended for medical parole. However, the question arose as to why offenders that were granted such parole managed to survive for more than a decade.
An example of this was Schabir Shaik, who was granted medical parole in 2009 while suffering from a terminal illness.
His 15-year sentence expired in January 2020 although he had served only two years’ imprisonment.
Shaik was convicted of fraud and corruption involving his business relationship with former president Jacob Zuma.
Media reports earlier this year claimed that he could be back in politics after he was seen at a rally.
The question over the possibility of that return was among the questions posed to Deputy Minister Lindiwe Ntshalintshali and national commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale, by members of the National Assembly, on the structure and functions of the parole boards.
Challenges were identified and are to be handed over to Minister Pieter Groenewald.
In the Western Cape, a total of 10 parole boards were allocated in areas such as Allendale and the Overberg to Voorberg and Drakenstein, while Gauteng had 11.
According to data reviewed, 85 applications had been received for medical parole and 43 were recommended. Twelve were set for review but 22 inmates died before they could be assessed, reviewed or presented for the year 2023/24.
DA MP Janho Engelbrecht questioned why offenders who were granted parole managed to live for several years.
“There are prisoners who are granted parole but are still alive in 10 years?
“What happened to a review of the parole processes?”
Ntshalintshali said in her answer that the board met strategically every month and was available to do so virtually in the event of an emergency involving an ill prisoner. She said that in most instances, the deceased prisoners had died of natural causes.
Thobakgale said the medical parole board was composed of medical professionals and that 99% of cases where parole was granted were based on reports and findings.
Engelbrecht said that more than 99 000 prisoners had been released on parole in the past three years and 16.25% were in breach of their parole conditions, while 40% had committed serious offences.
He added that it was a bad reflection on the department.
Thobakgale admitted that they had concerns about repeat offenders but contingency plans were in place.
“There are instances where parolees do contravene their parole conditions and do commit crime but it is a risk we do carry; there is no offender who is placed on parole without a sentence plan.”
The minister, together with the commissioner, was also questioned about the rate of escapes and the causes.
Thobakgale explained that he was committed to carrying out visitations to management areas to assess whether the work was being done, that escape prevention plans were in place and that most cases occurred while the prisoner was away from the facility.
“Most of these escapes occur when the offenders are on the move or working outside of the building; the risk is also when they are taken to a hospital outside of the facility,” he said.
“With all escape cases, we manage to get them back within 24 hours.”
Cape Argus