‘Ninja Killer’ Morné Harmse out on parole after serving minimum sentence

Convicted murderer and infamous ‘Ninja Killer’ Morné Harmse has been granted parole.

Harmse was paroled on 3 March after serving his legislated minimum detention period on 9 June 2019.

Harmse was convicted for one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder, and was sentenced to an effective 20 years’ imprisonment.

National spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services Singabakho Nxumalo said although Harmse completed his legislated minimum detention period on 9 June 2019 already, his full sentence is set to be served only on 9 March 2029, the Krugersdorp News reports.

“He was then considered for parole placement and it was confirmed for 3 March 2022,” Nxumalo said.

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Nxumalo added Harmse appeared before the Zonderwater Management Area Correctional Supervision in Cullinan and Parole Board (CSPB) about eight times. He was granted seven further profiles because of the outstanding issues which needed to be well addressed before he could be granted parole.

Harmse was engaged in the Victim Offender Participation (VOP) on 9 December 2019 where the victims were present.

In the VOP, he was granted further profile due to outstanding Substance Abuse and Gangsterism Programmes, Reconfirmation of Support System, and Social Work Report regarding assessment of the family required to assist the CSPB in making the informed decision.

Harmse has been given strict parole conditions (which will not be disclosed publicly) and will be monitored.

His parole allows for the Department of Correctional Services to monitor him.

If found not to be complying with the conditions, the department can revoke his parole.

“The aim of the parole system is to protect the community through prevention, rehabilitation, control and supervision of parolees. The success of parole is closely related to the effectiveness of the supervision provided,” said Nxumalo.

Last week, during an exclusive interview with eNCA’s Barry Bateman and Krugersdorp News editor Clinton Botha in Cresta, Johannesburg, the aunt of the victim and the Pretorius family spokesperson, Leonie Pretorius, said she was shocked to hear about Harmse’s release.

I was very shocked when I saw in an email from Correctional Services that he had been granted parole. The time he served was insufficient,” she said.

Tragic events in 2008

On 18 August 2008 then matric pupil Harmse, aged 18, entered the school premises at HTS N Diederichs THS (called Nic Diederichs HTS at the time) armed with a katana, also known as a samurai or Japanese sword, and wearing so-called ninja clothing, according to then Krugersdorp Police Captain Jacob Raboroko.

Harmse also donned a mask resembling what’s known as a ‘maggot mask’, assumedly imitating the masks predominantly worn by the death metal band Slipknot, which was reported to be among Harmse’s favourites.

The Krugersdorp News reported at the time that Harmse attacked grade 9 pupil Jacques Pretorius in a school hallway during the school’s morning assembly in the hall, driving the katana into his neck.

Harmse also seriously injured another pupil and two employees at the school.

Captain Raboroko said Harmse allegedly told other pupils that Satan had commanded him to kill someone, or he would be killed himself.

Harmse reportedly discarded the katana in the assembly quad after the attacks. Harmse’s hearing started on 31 August 2009 in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division.

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On 10 September, Harmse was handed down a 20-year sentence in the South Gauteng High Court by Judge Phillip Hattingh – 18 years for the murder for Jacques Pretorius and a further eight years for the attack on pupil Stephanus Bouwer, and five years each for the attack on school workers Lesiba Manamela and Tsiamo Kodisang. These would be served concurrently with the murder sentence.

Judge Hattingh also suggested that Harmse receive psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation during his time in jail.

This article first appeared on Caxton publication Krugersdorp News.

Read the original article here.