EFF Calls for Prisoners Over 60 to Be Released on Parole, Mzansi Strongly Disagrees: “Jesus, We Are Not Safe”

• The Economic Freedom Fighters does not believe in keeping criminals over the age of 60 behind bars
• EFF MP Vusumuzi Khoza says the political organisation thinks that inmates should be released on parole when they reach 60
• South Africans are unhappy with EFF's call and say that it would set a very dangerous trend

CAPE TOWN - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has a unique opinion on the age restriction for inmates in South Africa.

The political organisation believes prisoners over 60 and serving life sentences should be released on parole. The Red Berets made this remark in a written question to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Roland Lamola.

South Africa has over 700 prisoners over the age of 60

In a written response to a parliamentary question, Lamola wrote that there are currently 744 prisoners over 60 serving life sentences.

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The minister added that they do not know how many of those prisoners are eligible for parole, reports SABC News.

EFF wants elderly prisoners released on parole

He added that many other factors must be considered before they were released or released on parole.

Khoza explained that most of these inmates serving life sentences suffer from chronic illnesses, and keeping them behind bars in that condition serves no rehabilitation purpose.

"What is it that you are rehabilitating them on? Unless you want them to die and perish. Our view is that there should be to create space and alleviate overcrowding," said Khoza.

This is not the first time the EFF has spoken out about keeping the elderly behind bars. In 2021, EFF leader Julius Malema argued against the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma after he was found in contempt of court.

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IOL reported that Malema believed a suitable sentence for Zuma would have been house arrest instead of letting him sit in a jail cell. Malema added that spending money on 80-year-olds to rehabilitate them is a wasteful expenditure.

Legal expert weighs in on the EFF's proposal to release inmates over the age of 60 on parole

However, legal expert Professor Lukas Muntingh, co-founder of the Africa Criminal Justice Reform, says implementing the EFF's proposal would be difficult and would receive a lot of pushback.

Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, Muntingh explained that the Correctional Services Act already allows for the release of inmates over 65, provided they have already served 15 years of their life sentence.

Muntingh also explained that the release of inmates based on their age also needs to look at the nature of the crimes committed, and it wouldn't make sense to release dangerous and violent criminals based on age alone.

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He added that many other factors needed to be considered before they were released.

"I think whilst one may appreciate the intentions of the proposal, it's not as simple to say the cutoff age is 60 years. One has to look at firstly, what risk the person poses in terms of re-offending. Secondly, what are the prospects on the outside? Can they be monitored on the outside if they remain on parole?", said Muntingh.

Muntingh also added that 60 is not very old, and being that age does not mean a person would suffer from a chronic illness. He added that there are processes available for inmates who need to be released because of their health, such as medical parole.

South Africans disagree with the EFF's call to release prisoners over the age of 60

@missparker20 said:

"Jesus… We are not safe."

@maghangeni said:

"There's a reason they were given life sentences. Courts came to the conclusion, based on evidence and the nature of the criminality they committed, that they're unrepentant criminals. What makes the red berets that they're due a release on parole?"

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@GodisanAfrican said:

"Elections are obviously around the corner "

@RealCebolenkosi said:

"Imagine Rosemary being released on parole in 2025."

@PhaladiSd said:

"Eisaan... So those who are bo 50 years to 59 years old can start committing deadly crimes coz they will know that their min prison time will be 1yr and max at 9 yrs... I wish to read and understand the reasoning behind this, but I don't agree in advance."

@calzozon said:

"So, people can commit horrible crimes, at the age of 58, like serious corruption knowing at 60 years, they are released! Politicians."

@Lepos03 said:

"If they were arrested during apartheid, then I suppose this…but if they did all those crimes in the last 20 years... Nah, man, stay there."

South Africans expected to protest parole granted to Chris Hani’s killer Janusz Waluś in Pretoria

Briefly News previously reported that Scores of people are expected to march to the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Facility in protest of the parole granted to Chris Hani’s killer on Wednesday, 30 November 2022.

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The march organised by the African National Congress (ANC), Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu), the MK Liberations War Veterans Association, and the SA Communist Party has been dubbed the Chris Hani Day of Action.

Speaking to SowetanLIVE, ANC Gauteng provincial secretary TK Nciza said the protest is not to undermine the judiciary but to seek the truth about the freedom fighter’s murder.

Source: Briefly News