Instead, an independent panel of 10 medical practitioners will review all applications for medical parole.
"No parole board will take the decision without going through the independent panel to come with an independent view," Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said yesterday.
Speaking at a justice, crime prevention and security cluster briefing in Pretoria, Mapisa-Nqakula said the act will ensure that final recommendations for medical parole cannot be made by doctors with links to the applicant.
The applicant, his family or a member of the public will make the initial medical parole application to the Correctional Services case management committee which will make recommendations to the parole board.
The parole board will study the medical reports compiled by Correctional Services doctors and make recommendations to the independent Medical Parole Advisory Board.
Mapisa-Nqakula said the independent board would convene for the first time next week to discuss regulations and develop an operation framework.
"There are 52 parole boards nationwide and we currently have a situation in which we do not know how many paroles were granted or for what reasons. Then I, as minister, find myself in a situation in which I find it difficult to explain why a medical parole was granted, especially with high-profile cases," she said.
The minister announced a R6-million electronic monitoring pilot project for parolees and probationers.
The project, which began last week, involves 150 parolees including 70 prisoners who were sentenced to life imprisonment.
She said the microchipped parolees would be monitored by a national control room.
"We want to enable these parolees to be able to find employment and have access to educational facilities but we will be able to see when a parolee attempts to remove the chip and the signal will be able to tell us exactly where the parolee is," she said.
- Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe announced that the cabinet has approved R150-million from the criminal assets recovery account for the anti-corruption team that comprises the Hawks, the Special Investigating Unit and the National Prosecuting Authority.
"These resources are aimed at strengthening the capacity of these law-enforcement agencies in our resolve to fight corruption. We have set ourselves a target of arresting and prosecuting the 100 persons suspected of serious corruption, who have more than R5-million in illicit assets, by 2014," he said.
Radebe said that, between April and December, 56 people were being investigated, 26 were arrested and appeared in court and 19 have had their assets, to the value of R579-million, attached.
He said the current priority case investigations involve 157 suspects.
- Radebe said that, once enacted, the contentious Protection of State Information Bill will regulate the way in which state information is protected but will promote transparency and accountability in governance.
"This bill will provide for a thorough and methodological approach to the determination of which state information may be protected.
"It will criminalise espionage and activities hostile to the republic and provide for certain other offences and penalties," he said.
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