Note to editors: The following member's statement will be delivered by DA Shadow Minister of Correctional Services, James Selfe MP, in Parliament this afternoon.

Mr Nurshad Davids was convicted in 2006 for his part in the murder of Brett Goldin and Richard Bloom and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. He has now applied for parole, after serving a mere five years and five months of this sentence, and will appear before the Drakenstein Parole Board on 16 November(see Cape Argus report).

The Democratic Alliance (DA) accepts that Parole Boards are independent bodies which make their decisions based on the seriousness of the offence and the degree to which offenders have been rehabilitated; however, we want to express our outrage that this application for parole was even lodged.

The brutal execution-style murder of Goldin and Bloom devastated not only his family and friends but also shocked the international theatre community, and grievously damaged South Africa's reputation.

Quite frankly, the sentence handed down on Mr Davids was inappropriately lenient, given the nature of the crime for which he was convicted.

Under the circumstances, it is equally shocking that this offender has applied for parole.

We hope that Parliament will unite in recommending that the Parole Board rejects Mr Davids' application for parole until he has served a more appropriate length of imprisonment.

Granting parole to this offender at this stage will send an entirely inappropriate message. It would signify that we do not regard cold-blooded murder as an offence for which a long period of imprisonment is the only fitting punishment.

South Africans need to feel safe in their homes and on the streets.  They need to know that criminals will be caught and be punished.

For all these reasons, parole should be refused in this case.

Statement issued by James Selfe MP, DA Shadow Minister of Correctional Services, November 3 2011

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