Former police chief Jackie Selebi has to abide by a long list of conditions while in “home” detention, an official said on Monday.
“From Monday to Friday, he has two hours' free time a day,” said James Smalberger, chief deputy commissioner for incarceration and corrections.
On Saturday and Sunday this would go up to six hours.
Selebi could use this time to go out and buy a newspaper, go to church, or meet a friend for coffee.
Selebi had to stay in his current residence at Waterkloof. Should he want to change residence, he needed prior approval from correctional services.
He was not allowed to go to the Pretoria magisterial district without permission, and may not use drugs or abuse alcohol.
Correctional services officials were allowed to take blood tests to monitor his use of alcohol above a limit of 0.05 grams per 100ml.
The department would visit him at least once a week, unannounced. They would phone him on his landline to check that he was home.
“There will be other interactions by community corrections staff for dedicated sessions to see if everything is fine and in order,” said Smalberger.
He said Selebi's doctor allowed him to be discharged on Saturday to interact with his family.
“He has been released, but under our supervision.”
Smalberger said he could not elaborate on whether Selebi would be based at home, travelling to the hospital for his dialysis, or whether he would stay in hospital.
Chief executive of the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, Ernest Kenoshi, would be best placed to clarify that, he said.
Neither Kenoshi nor Selebi's attorney were immediately available.
The department was still finalising the smaller details, such as when Selebi would take his two hours and his six hours.
Medical treatment for his kidney condition and going to hospital was not counted as free time.
“If he needs to be at the hospital for the whole day, we can't interfere with that at all.”
Last week a senior registrar from the hospital said Selebi would be responsible for his own medical costs.
Dr Anil Kurian explained that Selebi had end-stage renal disease which meant he had irreversible kidney damage and must have dialysis for life.
The Sunday Independent reported that in June Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said he was receiving the normal Polmed (police medical aid) benefits applicable to a pensioner.
Selebi was convicted of corruption in 2010 after charges were first laid in 2007. He was later sentenced to 15 years in prison, the maximum because of his job as a police officer.
His appeal failed, which meant he had to start serving his sentence, and while watching this on television, he collapsed and was taken to hospital.
His parole has been compared with that of Schabir Schaik, President Jacob Zuma' former financial adviser, also jailed for corruption.
Shaik has been spotted playing golf, although terminally ill from an irreversible disease.
Selebi has been an ambassador, an ANC Youth League leader, a government official and was a head of Interpol. – Sapa