Stringent parole conditions for Zulu

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Durban businessman Prince Sifiso Zulu was released on parole on Monday. File photo: GCINA NDWALANE

Related Stories

• Paroled Sifiso Zulu keeps low profile
• Zulu freed after nine months

Durban - Durban socialite Sifiso Zulu, released on parole yesterday, will find his lifestyle and movements outside prison severely curtailed and monitored.

The businessman was set free after serving just more than nine months of his three-year sentence for offences including culpable homicide, reckless or negligent driving, failure to stop at a red traffic light, failure to stop after an accident, and driving under the influence of alcohol.

Five years ago, Zulu drove his BMW X5 through a red traffic light in Durban and collided with a bakkie carrying 12 congregants from the Soul’s Harbour Ministries Church. Two passengers were killed and 10 were injured.

According to his parole conditions, Zulu will have to seek treatment for his offending behaviour – drunk driving – and will not be allowed to consume alcohol or any drugs, unless prescribed by a medical practitioner

.

He will also have to attend development and support programmes offered by the Department of Correctional Services.

All his movements will be closely monitored and he will have to be in his home by 6pm.

The conditions also stipulate that Zulu:

l is compelled to make regular visits to the Durban community corrections centre;

l will have to try to secure employment, and not be able to change jobs without consulting his parole officer;

l cannot leave his magisterial district without the knowledge of the parole officer;

l and is obliged to continue with the victim and offender dialogue programme as part of restorative justice.

Parole officers can make unannounced visits and do random blood tests.

His parole can be revoked if he commits any other crime or breaks any of the conditions.

Zulu was released from Sevontein Prison, 60km from Pietermaritzburg, at 4am and was transferred to the community corrections centre in Durban, where he was granted parole.

Dressed in a black suit, he arrived with a prison warder at the centre, where he was registered on the parole system.

His conditions were explained to him and he left about 20 minutes later, giving the media the slip.

KwaZulu-Natal Correctional Services commissioner, Mnikelwa Nxele, dismissed claims yesterday that Zulu was being favoured with his early release.

“There is nothing underhand about Zulu’s release,” he said.

“The details of his parole are all contained in his file. It is all above board.”

Nxele said if Zulu had breached his bail conditions, his R5 000 bail would have been forfeited to the State.

“The state attorney’s office has confirmed the money has not been forfeited and he can collect that money.”

Zulu, who had been sentenced to five years in jail (two of which were suspended) and fined R7 500 for his offences, applied last month for an 18-month special remission of sentence announced by President Jacob Zuma in April.

In December, Zulu confessed to killing two people while driving drunk and asked for forgiveness from the victims.

Daily News