Apartheid hitman Barnard gets parole

Ferdi Barnard‚ the man who shot dead anti-apartheid activist Dr David Webster in 1989‚ will be placed on full parole from April 2.

Justice and correctional services minister Michael Masutha said on Thursday that he had approved the placement of Barnard on full parole.

Barnard was sentenced to life on June 4 1998‚ after being convicted on numerous charges‚ including murder‚ attempted murder‚ defeating the ends of justice and unlawful possession of firearms.

One of the two murder charges was in connection with the killing of Wits University academic Webster on May 1 1989.

Barnard shot Webster outside his home in Troyeville‚ Johannesburg‚ at the behest of the apartheid police’s security branch‚ the Civil Co-operation Bureau.

The bureau told Barnard that Webster‚ a pacifist‚ was involved in terrorist activities.

In reaching the decision to grant parole‚ Masutha satisfied himself that Barnard had met all the requirements.

As part of the consultations before finalising his decision‚ Masutha personally engaged with Webster’s partner, Maggie Friedman‚ according to the department of justice.

“After raising her concerns with minister Masutha‚ Ms Friedman indicated she had no objection to the placement of Mr Barnard on parole‚” the department said in a statement.

An offender serving a life sentence is, by law, entitled to be considered for day parole or full parole after serving 20 years or more of the sentence.

The department said the profile of such an offender had to be submitted to the National Council for Correctional Services‚ which then made a recommendation to the minister regarding the placement of the offender on day parole or full parole.

It was then up to the minister to confirm, or not, the placement on parole of an offender.

Barnard has served more than 20 years of the life sentence.