The Democratic Alliance (DA) has raised concerns over the special remission program initiated by President Cyril Ramaphosa, as it has been revealed that 97 out of the more than 16,000 inmates released last year have been re-arrested.
The DA claims that the process was primarily used as a political favor to free former president Jacob Zuma, resulting in the release of inmates who may not have undergone proper integration and rehabilitation.
According to Justice Minister Ronald Lamola’s written response to DA questions, of the 97 rearrested criminals, 20 were apprehended for violent crimes such as robbery, robbery with aggravating circumstances, family violence, and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Shockingly, 41 of the released inmates reoffended within just 20 days of their release.
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One particular case stands out, as a criminal committed three counts of housebreaking and seven counts of theft within a single day of being released. Additionally, 69 criminals were arrested for theft, and 37 counts of house break-ins were recorded.
Another concerning incident involved a re-offender who was arrested for theft and being an illegal immigrant, raising questions about how the inmate was released without proper documentation or the intervention of the Department of Home Affairs. In total, 139 criminal acts that led to arrest were recorded among these rearrested individuals.
DA shadow minister of Correctional Services, Janho Engelbrecht, asserts that these alarming figures highlight the lack of proper rehabilitation, integration, and support provided to released inmates.
Engelbrecht argues that if these services had been adequately provided, it could have potentially prevented them from returning to a life of crime. Engelbrecht further expresses concerns about the possibility of many more of the 16,472 released criminals reoffending without facing any consequences.
He points out the poor rate of investigations and arrests by the South African Police Service (SAPS), indicating that the figures of rearrested individuals may only represent those who have been caught so far.
It is worth noting that among the inmates released under the special remission process was former President Jacob Zuma. Zuma had been released in August last year, after briefly returning to the Estcourt Correctional Centre to complete his contempt of court sentence, for which he had previously been released on medical parole.
The special remission process, announced in August 2023, aimed to reduce overcrowding in prisons and concluded on November 2, 2023.
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