MEDICAL PAROLE GRANTED TO MR JACKIE SELEBI
20 JULY 2012
The Office of the Chief Whip has noted the granting of medical parole to former police commissioner, Mr Jackie Selebi by the Department of Correctional Services. Mr Selebi, together with five other offenders, was recommended for medical parole. Of these, two of the offenders were respectively released on the 9th and 12 of July 2012.
Mr Selebi has been treated since his incarceration for diabetes and kidney disease. His release on medical grounds is in line with the new Medical Parole policy under the Correctional Matters Amendment Act of 2011, which was signed into law by President Jacob Zuma in May of last year. After the promulgation of the Correctional Matters Amendment Act, the new medical parole policy came into effect on the 1st of March 2012. Not only does the revamped Medical Parole policy allow for a greater scope of seriously ill offenders to be eligible for consideration for placement on Medical Parole, it also ensures that the granting of Medical Parole withstands greater scrutiny and is a transparent process.
All applications for consideration for placement on Medical Parole must require the approval of the Medical Parole Advisory Board, an independent body currently consisting of nine medical doctors. This independent panel of medical doctors considers and decides on all medical aspects in the applications for placement on parole based on medical grounds. Only after their input, may a Parole Board consider such an application and decide in terms of the broader criteria for placement. It is estimated that there are potentially 298 inmates in our facilities who can be considered for medical parole under the new framework.
The provisions on medical parole as contained within the Correctional Matters Amendment Act received the support of all political parties as well as key stakeholders during its deliberation and assent. In line with our Constitution, it ensures that the rights of offenders who are seriously and terminally ill are protected and that they can request release on medical grounds. To not release terminally ill prisoners would not only be a serious violation of the Constitution, but a morally repugnant abuse of human rights.
Statement issued by the Office of the ANC Chief Whip, July 20 2012
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