248 c0ns demand parole.
TWO notorious East London brothers who embarked on a murderous rampage in the 1990s have turned to President Jacob Zuma to be freed.
The Ncamazana brothers – one of whom has already been granted a presidential pardon – have nine killings to their names.
“It is a shock to hear that they want to be released. They killed my brother a few weeks after one was released by Mbeki. What will they do in society now? They could commit a similar crime, killing an innocent person. We are not happy with this and hope that they won’t be released,” said Andrew.
Zalisile Sijadu, who is serving life for his involvement in taxi wars in Fort Beaufort areas, has been leading prisoners in their campaign to be freed.
He has written to the Office of the President, the Department of Correctional Services and to Lawyers for Human Rights for assistance.
Sijadu is in jail for murdering a rival taxi operator.
Most of these prisoners were sentenced in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Lawyer Clare Ballard, in a letter to Mdantsane correctional centre, said the department had failed to send a profile report of their client, Sijadu, to the correctional supervision and parole board.
“Our client becomes eligible for parole on October 17 and given that the profile report is overdue, we request that it be delivered to the parole board no later than August 28,” reads the letter.
Sijadu, speaking to the Saturday Dispatch from the Mdantsane Correctional Centre, said he became eligible for parole this year, but the department had done nothing to assist him. “The reason for these delays is that these parole board members are inefficient and the case management committee members are not available to prepare us for this. Hence we’ve taken this to high offices,” he said.
Presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj said they had forwarded the appeals to the Justice and Correctional Services (DCS) departments.
DCS regional commissioner Nkosinathi Breakfast said the department did not understand why they had to turn to Zuma’s office.
“We deal with parole issues on a daily basis for all offenders who are serving life terms. We recently visited all centres and explained to them all the processes that had to be followed,” said Breakfast.
The law stipulates that once a convict has served 12 years and six months of their life sentence, they become eligible for parole.
A source within correctional services said 248 cases in the Eastern Cape were being considered for parole.
Parole for prisoners like Mbuyiseli Robiyana, arrested for double murder after a taxi war in East London, will also be considered. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
Killer brothers: free us, Zuma!
TWO notorious East London brothers who embarked on a murderous rampage in the 1990s have turned to President Jacob Zuma to be freed.
The Ncamazana brothers – one of whom has already been granted a presidential pardon – have nine killings to their names.
“It is a shock to hear that they want to be released. They killed my brother a few weeks after one was released by Mbeki. What will they do in society now? They could commit a similar crime, killing an innocent person. We are not happy with this and hope that they won’t be released,” said Andrew.
Zalisile Sijadu, who is serving life for his involvement in taxi wars in Fort Beaufort areas, has been leading prisoners in their campaign to be freed.
He has written to the Office of the President, the Department of Correctional Services and to Lawyers for Human Rights for assistance.
Sijadu is in jail for murdering a rival taxi operator.
Most of these prisoners were sentenced in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Lawyer Clare Ballard, in a letter to Mdantsane correctional centre, said the department had failed to send a profile report of their client, Sijadu, to the correctional supervision and parole board.
“Our client becomes eligible for parole on October 17 and given that the profile report is overdue, we request that it be delivered to the parole board no later than August 28,” reads the letter.
Sijadu, speaking to the Saturday Dispatch from the Mdantsane Correctional Centre, said he became eligible for parole this year, but the department had done nothing to assist him. “The reason for these delays is that these parole board members are inefficient and the case management committee members are not available to prepare us for this. Hence we’ve taken this to high offices,” he said.
Presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj said they had forwarded the appeals to the Justice and Correctional Services (DCS) departments.
DCS regional commissioner Nkosinathi Breakfast said the department did not understand why they had to turn to Zuma’s office.
“We deal with parole issues on a daily basis for all offenders who are serving life terms. We recently visited all centres and explained to them all the processes that had to be followed,” said Breakfast.
The law stipulates that once a convict has served 12 years and six months of their life sentence, they become eligible for parole.
A source within correctional services said 248 cases in the Eastern Cape were being considered for parole.
Parole for prisoners like Mbuyiseli Robiyana, arrested for double murder after a taxi war in East London, will also be considered. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
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