The FF Plus welcomes the revocation of child-murderer and former policeman Marius van der Westhuizen’s parole.
It was the right decision, and it demonstrates what an effective Minister can do to make sure that justice prevails in the interest of the people of South Africa.
The Correctional Supervision and Parole Review Board announced its decision earlier today after the Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Pieter Groenewald, had asked that the initial decision to grant him parole be referred back to the Board for review.
Van der Westhuizen was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment in 2011 for the murder of his three children: Bianca (16), Marius Eben (5) and Antoinette (21 months).
The people of South Africa are subject to high levels of violent crime, inadequate punitive measures and rash decisions to grant parole. In this case, it would have been a miscarriage of justice to release an offender after serving only 13 years for the cold-blooded murder of his three children.
In cases such as this one, there is more to consider than just the rights of the parole applicant. The interests of the community and the victims – such as the children’s mother, Charlotte, who opposed the application because she fears for her life – should be given just as much consideration.
In Van der Westhuizen’s case, the victim impact statement (by Mrs Van der Westhuizen) was not even taken into consideration.
The FF Plus is, therefore, calling on the Minister to ensure that the parole system is revamped so that everyone involved in the process is treated fairly.
The FF Plus is also calling for punitive measures to be revised, particularly for violent and sexual offences as they are often shockingly inadequate. It comes down to a total overhaul of the entire criminal justice system, including the administrative side.
Things such as misplaced documents, for example, play a significant role in the outcome of, say, parole applications.
As regards punishment, Van der Westhuizen was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment, which differs substantially from a life sentence of 25 years when it comes to being considered for parole.
The public increasingly perceives the system that is supposed to protect them against crime as a mechanism that is, instead, turning South Africa into a crime paradise.
This has to change and the Government of National Unity (GNU) offers a good starting point, as demonstrated by the decision regarding Van der Westhuizen.
