In a letter written today to the new Minister of Correctional Services, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, I congratulate her on her appointment and request the opportunity to exchange views with her on the challenges facing the Department. I have also urged the new Minister to consider the controversial decision to grant medical parole to Mr Schabir Shaik, and refer the matter to the Correctional Supervision and Parole Review Board.

Section 79 of the Correction Services Act sets out the provisions and conditions under which offenders may be released on medical parole. The decision to grant Mr Shaik medical parole has become an extremely controversial matter as many people believe that Mr Shaik did not qualify for release in terms of these provisions, and this scepticism undermines the credibility of the parole system as a whole.

Unfortunately, this crisis of credibility was exacerbated by the refusal of the Minister's predecessor, Mr Ngconde Balfour to refer the matter to the Correctional Supervision and Parole Review Board. It is only the Minister of Correctional Services or the National Commissioner that may refer the matter and Mr Balfour refused to do so, even after President Motlanthe had urged him to consider the matter. The whole question could easily have been put to rest had the review been undertaken.

For these reasons, I have appealed to the Minister to refer the matter to the Review Board, with an undertaking to accept any decision that the Board may take.

Statement issued by James Selefe, MP, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of Correctional Services, May 20 2009

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