Update: Andile Lungisa a free man, but says the country still needs to be freed

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality ANC councillor, Andile Lungisa, has been placed on parole with effect from Tuesday, 1 December.

Speaking at a press conference shortly after his release, Lungisa said the fight for freedom for the country as a whole was still being chartered.

“A breakthrough is like a stone – if you throw that stone through a window it will not break the window in totality,” said Lungisa, explaining that the negotiated settlement in 1994 was only the start of freedom for the majority of South Africans.

He insisted that the majority of the economy was still in the control of “white hands”.

“It is only in South Africa where you have the minority complaining about the majority,” he said.

“We need to change the South African situation… Our people are standing on street corners – the economy in this country is controlled by the tiny minority.”

In 2018, the former Youth League leader was found guilty of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and sentenced to three years in prison, of which one year was suspended for a period of five years on condition that he was not convicted of similar crimes during the period of suspension.

Lungisa smashed a glass jug over the head of former mayoral committee member for transport Rano Kayser at a Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Council chamber at a meeting held in 2016.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) said at the time: “The appeal is dismissed. It was conceded on the appellant’s behalf that the offence he committed was ‘particularly serious and even egregious’.”

The court highlighted the fact that the “weapon” used in assaulting the complainant was particularly dangerous.

ALSO READ: SCA dismisses Andile Lungisa’s assault conviction appeal

According to the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has confirmed that, first-time offender Lungisa will be released after he responded positively to rehabilitation programmes.

He was released on bail on 25 May 2018 after having spent 16 days pending his appeal application. He was readmitted to continue with the sentence into the corrections system on 17 September after his appeal application was dismissed.

The special remission of sentences granted by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 16 December 2019 reduced Lungisa’s sentence by 12 months. Over 14,000 inmates benefited from the special remission of sentence, added the department.

This parole placement means that Lungisa will serve the remainder of the sentence in the system of Community Corrections, wherein he will be expected to comply with a specific set of conditions and will be subjected to supervision until the sentence expires.

ALSO READ: Judges demand retraction of ‘offensive remarks’ from Andile Lungisa

“South Africa is using a parole system that is progressive in nature and based on international best practice. Offenders who are placed on parole are expected to comply with conditions and failure to comply may result in the parolee, depending on the frequency and seriousness of the violations, having parole revoked and sent back to a correctional facility,” said the department.

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