Murderer gets parole
2012-12-12 12:27
Pretoria - The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has granted a convicted
murderer parole after the Minister of Correctional Services failed to decide
four months ago whether to release him, according to a report on Wednesday.
Cornelius van Wyk would be released from prison on day parole on January 1,
The Star newspaper reported.
Van Wyk was sentenced to three life terms in September 1994 for three
killings in October 1991 in Makhado, Limpopo.
He was 20-years-old at the time and was part of the right-wing National
Socialist Partisans.
The department reportedly initially refused to consider his application for
parole, but Van Wyk took the matter to court and an order was made that the
department deal with him under the parole laws in effect when he was sentenced.
The laws allowed him to apply for parole after a shorter time in jail than
the current laws for those sentenced to life.
According to The Star, the parole board recommended that he be granted
parole, but the minister failed to make the final decision. Van Wyk went to
court to demand that a decision be made.
On August 28, the court gave the minister a month to decide and no decision
came and the deadline lapsed.
Van Wyk's lawyer Julian Knight said the minister would have to explain why
he disregarded a court order.
Correctional Services spokesperson Logan Maistry told The Star: The
department has noted the content of the court order relating to Mr Van Wyk. The
matter is receiving the necessary attention."
- SAPA
