110 inmates released on special Covid-19 parole in Mbombela

This comes after the announcement made by President Cyril Ramaphosa as well as the minister of correctional services, Ronald Lamola, to release 19 000 offenders.

This decision was taken after it was found that the correctional centres are overcrowded and posed a risk of spreading the Covid-19 coronavirus among offenders and officials.

Read: No Covid-19 cases reported yet at Barberton Correctional Services

“Since the introduction of this special parole, 110 offenders from Mbombela and Barberton correctional services have been released from custody,” explained Mesiah Hlungwani, spokesperson for correctional centres.
They included 95 illegal immigrants, two offenders for common assault, five offenders for theft, two for fraud, two for possession of drugs, two for trespassing, one for housebreaking and one for negligent driving.
Hlungwani added that the project of releasing qualifying offenders is still ongoing and more are expected to be released before the end of this month.

Also read: Offenders in Barberton Correctional produce face masks for inmates

He emphasised that certain categories were excluded from special parole dispensation.
These included those serving life sentences, sexual offence, murder, attempted murder, sedition, high treason, sabotage and terrorism, gender-based violence and child abuse offenders.

“Offenders declared dangerous by the court in terms of Section 286 A of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1997, those certified as mentally ill and detained in accordance with the Mental Health Care Act, 2002, and offenders facing further charges where bail was not fixed, or fixed but not paid, were not included in the category,” he said.

Hlungwani added that offenders facing charges of escape, violations under the Domestic Violence Act, 1998, armed robbery or robbery with aggravating circumstances, and any other crime directly linked to any of the above mentioned crimes, will not be considered for special parole.