Johannesburg -
Clive Derby-Lewis’s legal representatives are hopeful that the second attack on him will strengthen their parole application as it has been proven that his life is in danger.
Marius Coertze, Derby-Lewis’s legal representative on Monday told Pretoria News that he could not understand the “spate” of attacks on Lewis. He said he strongly believed his client’s life was in danger, following the second attack in less than a month on the convicted murderer on Sunday afternoon.
Lewis, a co-conspirator in the murder of SACP general secretary Chris Hani in 1993, is serving a life sentence.
He was stabbed earlier this month with a sharpened spoon at the Kgosi Mampuru prison, by a fellow inmate, and on Sunday he was stabbed in the back with a piece of glass by a different inmate.
The Minister of Correctional Services, S’bu Ndebele, reportedly said his department could have avoided the latest attack if better safety measures had been put in place after the first assault.
Coertze, however, said they would not apply for his client to be moved because the attacks could follow him.
“We will rather request 24/7 security, but we know this will probably not even happen.”
The lawyer said that they would be going ahead with the April parole application.
“Nothing will deter us. Hopefully, the boards and courts will see that his life is in danger. He was sent to prison to be rehabilitated and he has been. He was not sent there to be killed,” Coertze said.
Derby-Lewis was taken to a private medical facility on Monday for treatment as agreed following a high court order two weeks ago.
At the time, Coertze said that the order stated that his client be taken to a private medical facility and that the Department of Correctional Services foot the transport costs.
Spokesman Manelisi Wolela, however, disputed the claims, stating that the court order had been thrown out.
Coertze has since lodged a complaint against Wolela and challenged him to present proof of his allegations.
Pretoria News