Selebi, Shaik may walk

AND 20 000 SKELMS TOO

DISGRACED former police commissioner Jackie Selebi and President Jacob Zuma’s friend Schabir Shaik are some of the “skelms ” who may benefit from yesterday ’ s announcement that parolees and probationers will be granted special remission of sentence.

The announcement was made yesterday at the GCIS offices in Pretoria by Minister of Correctional Services, Nosiviwe Mapisa-nqakula, Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa and Deputy Minister of Justice Andries Nel.

“The special remission as announced by President Jacob Zuma will see all sentenced inmates, probationers and parolees granted a six months remission of sentence and an additional 12 months for sentenced inmates, probationers and parolees excluding those who have been sentenced for agressive, sexual, firearm and drug-related sentences. But remission will exclude all escapeees and absconders who are still at large,” said Mthethwa.

“It is projected that approximately 14 651 sentenced inmates will be released conditionally or unconditionally in terms of this process as well as an approximate 20 855 probationers and parolees. This will reduce the level of overcrowding in Correctional Centres from 34% to approximately 20%.”

According to a study done by Criminal Justice Monitor project in 2011, South African prisons were designed to accommodate 100 668 inmates. The study says currently the country struggles to house 172 271 prisoners.

Mthethwa added that all inmates will have to complete a compulsory pre-release assessment before they are released.

“As from 14 May of this year only offenders who benefit from special remission of sentence can immediately be released unconditionally in controllable groups within the 10 week period in order for the department to conduct a pre-release assessment and to arrange pre-release preparation programmes.”

Mapisa-nqakula emphasised that the remissions of sentence are not pardons. “I must emphasise that. And they are not special amnesty either.”

She said 19 178 inmates will qualify for immediate release.

“People who are already on parole will be the majority of those who benefit.

“People like (Jackie) Selebi and (Schabir) Shaik will benefit too because they have not been declared mentally ill or declared dangerous criminals. They have never escaped or absconded.”

Asked why Shaik should benefit from the remission when he violated his parole before, Mapisa-nqakula said he was punished for this act. Mr Shaik was released on parole in 2009. He still has nine months’ parole to serve. Selebi is serving a 15-year jail sentence.

During Nelson Mandela’s rule amnesties were granted three times, in Thabo Mbeki’s era pardons were granted only once and now it will be for the second time that Jacob Zuma’s government will be granting remissions.