The minister of justice and correctional services Dr Pieter Groenewald has reiterated the central role professional psychological and criminological assessments play in determining parole eligibility, especially for inmates serving life sentences.
Responding to a question from Action SA MP Dereleen Elana James during a recent parliamentary committee meeting, Groenewald said despite completing all required rehabilitation programmes, parole applicants, particularly lifers, could still be denied parole based on psychological evaluations.
“The parolees I work with are lifers. You can have a parolee or applicant for parole who went through all the rehabilitation courses and the whole process, but then you get a psychologist’s report and a criminologist’s report and in the reports it is determined what is the risk of the applicant reoffending,” said Groenewald.
He emphasised while rehabilitation programme completion was important, it did not guarantee parole.
“If the risk is mild to high, I do not approve because that means there is a good chance of the applicant reoffending,” he said.
In response to a question from the chairperson about recidivism, Groenewald said psychological factors often remained a barrier to rehabilitation.
He acknowledged the department continues to face challenges in fully rehabilitating offenders, particularly when deeply ingrained psychological issues are involved.
As of the latest reporting period, 52,795 individuals were under the community corrections system with 45,752 of them parolees and 7,043 probationers. The system admits an average of 39,556 inmates annually, with monthly fluctuations averaging about 2,463.
Despite the challenges, the department has seen notable progress in victim-offender dialogues and mediation programmes. In the 2024/25 period so far, 4,544 offenders, parolees and probationers and 13,559 victims participated in the initiatives.
The department said the programmes aim to repair harm and foster accountability, reflecting a broader commitment to reducing recidivism through offender-centred rehabilitation and reintegration strategies.
The minister said they would require greater resources, stronger partnerships and consistent programme delivery.
In response to a parliamentary question by Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana, Groenewald revealed that 362 lifers were released on parole in the 2022/2023 financial year, with the figure rising to 703 in 2023/2024.
Some of these releases were later revoked. Seventeen parolees had their parole cancelled in 2022/2023, and 19 in 2023/2024. In the 2024/2025 financial year, six cancellations occurred in the second quarter and 12 in the third quarter. Thirteen cases are under review for possible parole cancellation.
Among the most high-profile parole cancellations were those of Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger, who brutally attacked and left for dead Alison Botha in 1994. The two men had been sentenced to life imprisonment but were granted parole in July 2023 after serving 29 years.
Groenewald, who had committed to reviewing the decision, cancelled their parole earlier this year after legal consultation and evaluation of the circumstances. The two are back in custody.
The minister also faced criticism over the 2022 parole of Janusz Waluś, the convicted assassin of SA Communist Party leader Chris Hani. Groenewald defended the decision, noting it was ordered by the Constitutional Court using the Van Vuuren precedent.
The Correctional Services Act authorises the minister to grant parole to lifers. Groenewald has made it clear the discretion is bounded by legal mandates and professional input, specially where public safety and risk of reoffending are concerned.
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