‘We cannot send Waterkloof 2 back to jail’

Reinach Tiedt and Gert van Schalkwyk. Photo: Stephanie Oosthuizen

Reinach Tiedt and Gert van Schalkwyk. Photo: Stephanie Oosthuizen

Published Mar 27, 2012

Share

Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Monday her department could not send two of the Waterkloof Four back to prison to complete their jail sentences.

Responding to questions at a media briefing at Pretoria Local Prison, Mapisa-Nqakula said her department did not have the power to order that the two – Reinach Tiedt and Gert van Schalkwyk – return to prison to serve the remainder of their 12-year jail term.

“Only the court can force or determine if they have to go back to jail,” she said.

Tiedt and Van Schalkwyk had their 12-year prison sentences converted to correctional supervision in December, on the recommendation of the parole board at Zonderwater prison near Cullinan.

Three members of the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board and two prison officials were suspended in connection with the release of the two under correctional supervision. The department launched an investigation into the circumstances in which the prison sentences were converted.

Mapisa-Nqakula said the investigation did not have anything to do with the release of Tiedt and Van Schalkwyk.

“The investigation is aimed at determining if there was any collusion between members of the parole board and Correctional Services officers. We want to determine what went wrong,” she said.

Earlier, Mapisa-Nqakula addressed a parole board working session where a number of “burning issues” were discussed.

One of the issues discussed during the session, which ends on Tuesday, is the filling of vacancies within the various parole boards.

“From an audit conducted on the composition of parole boards at present, it would appear that a number of vice-chairperson positions are either vacant or will become vacant during the course of 2012,” she said.

Mapisa-Nqakula said the Gauteng region had 11 parole boards, and one position of chairman was vacant, while a total of 10 vice-chairmanships were or would become vacant during the course of 2012.

Other regions with vacant positions are the Free State and Northern Cape which have seven parole boards. One chairmanship will become vacant at the end of this month and one vice-chairmanship is vacant as of the end of last month (February).

Other vacancies are in the Eastern Cape, where one chairmanship is vacant while a total of six vice-chairmanships are or will become vacant during the course of this year. In KwaZulu-Natal one chairmanship is vacant, while a total of eight vice-chairmanships are or will become vacant during the course of this year. In the Western Cape, two chairmanships are vacant while the terms of five vice-chairpersons are expiring during the course of this year. In Limpopo, one chairmanship is vacant while seven positions are or will become vacant during the course of this year.

“Co-ordinated efforts will be undertaken to ensure that these positions are filled timeously to avoid any negative impact on the work of the parole boards. Once these positions have been filled, it will be necessary to convene a national summit to cement our ongoing dialogue on matters affecting the optimum functioning of parole boards,” she said.

Mapisa-Nqakula said a new medical parole system had been introduced. “It signals a complete departure from the previous system, whereby applications could be brought by DCS (Department of Correctional Services) medical personnel within the limited definition of ‘final phase or terminal illness’.”

Mapisa-Nqakula said the new system differed from the current system in that applications could be brought by the offender or someone acting on his or her behalf, whereas at present only the medical practitioners treating an offender could bring an application.

Mapisa-Nqakula said she had made the following decisions: three deportations, 52 full parole placements, 108 day parole placements, and 205 applications which had been turned down. - Pretoria News

Related Topics: