WATCH | Celebrations as Marike de Klerk's killer Luyanda Mboniswa is released on parole

The man who murdered Marike de Klerk, the ex-wife of former apartheid president FW de Klerk, has been released on parole. 

Luyanda Mboniswa was released on Wednesday after spending 22 years in prison.

The now 43-year-old was greeted by his mother and other family members outside the correctional centre in Crawford Street in Gqeberha on Wednesday. 

The family had carried a banner reading: “Welcome home Luyanda Mboniswa.”

Addressing the media, his mother Sindiswa Mboniswa said: “It's been years that Luyanda has been away. I thought I would be dead by [the] time he returns home, but God gave me strength to hold on. I am happy he is home.” 

The family camped outside the prison from early morning awaiting his release. 

After hours of waiting, Mboniswa emerged and was met with song and dance.

The correctional officers who transported him to where he was to be released parked their vehicle up the road from the prison. Mboniswa,  clad in blue overalls with a bag in hand, walked out to his family members. 

He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2003 for the murder of Marike. He was also handed 15 years for robbery. 

Marike, who was 64, was stabbed in the back and strangled in her flat at Dolphin Beach in Blouberg, Cape Town, in December 2001.

Mboniswa, who stole a gold watch, a cellphone, two torches and cash, had worked at the complex as a security guard. He was 21 at the time.

Commenting on Mboniswa's release, Singabakho Nxumalo of the department of correctional services said: “In compliance with the Correctional Services Act, Mboniswa was considered for parole having served the minimum required time. The parole process started with the preparation of the profile by the case management committee and consideration by the correctional supervision and parole board.

“The National Council for Correctional Services also dealt with the profile before its submission to the minister of justice and correctional services for a decision. The minister is empowered by the Correctional Services Act to make a determination on those sentenced to life.”

Upon release, Mboniswa “will be admitted into the system of community corrections, whereby he is expected to comply with a specific set of parole conditions for the rest of his natural life”.

“He will be assigned a monitoring official to render supervision duties. Normal parole conditions will apply, such as being restricted to his magisterial district. He is also not allowed to have contact with the family of the victim and shall not change his residential address without informing the monitoring official.”

The department said parole formed part of the “total rehabilitation programme” aimed at correcting an offender's behaviour and “may include continuation of programmes in the system of community corrections”.

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