The parole board in the Western Cape is expected to go back to the drawing board after several parolees in the province have been implicated in heinous crimes.
On Tuesday, the office of justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola said he had expressed concern over the crimes reportedly being committed by paroled criminals in the Western Cape.
Lamola had called for an urgent meeting with high-ranking officials from the department of correctional services, as well as the parole board in the province.
A two-day meeting is expected to be held from Wednesday.
“The meeting has been tasked to review parole cases which have been granted in the past financial year in the Western Cape and evaluate whether there has been any failure to comply with the processes and procedures of the Correctional Services Act,” said Lamola’s office.
In one of the latest incidents, eight-year-old Tazne van Wyk of Elsie’s River was kidnapped and killed, allegedly by 54-year-old parolee Moehydien Pangaker.
Pangaker is reported to have absconded from parole in 2015 after being convicted of culpable homicide, child abuse and kidnapping in 2008.
In another case, Jakobus Petoors on Tuesday appeared at the Tulbagh magistrate's court for the abduction, rape and murder of eight-year-old boy Reagan Gertse.
Petoors was on parole at the time he allegedly committed the crime. His parole has since been revoked and his case will return to court in June.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 