Project of the Community Law Centre CSPRI "30Days/Dae/Izinsuku" CSPRI "30Days/Dae/Izinsuku" November 2010 November 2010 In this Issue: GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION AWAITING TRIAL PRISONERS PAROLE AND SENTENCING PRISONERS' RIGHTS SOUTH AFRICANS IMPRISONED ABROAD OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES OTHER Top of GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION Page Regional Commissioner of Correctional Services dismissed : The Mercury reported that the Gauteng Regional Commissioner of Correctional Services was summarily dismissed on charges of renting a luxury house at taxpayers' expense. The report said that Tozama Mqobi-Balfour had alleged that her departmental house was insecure and she needed private accommodation. It also said that, contradictory to her allegations, it was found that the departmental house had palisade fencing, a remote-controlled gate and Spanish burglar bars on the windows. The report further said that earlier Mqobi-Balfour had been found guilty of fraud, contravening the departmental housing policy, and breaching the Public Finance Management Act and the Code of Conduct for Public Servants. Reported by Mercury, 3 November 2010, at http://themercury.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx Prison Public Private Partnership tenders still valid : Sake24 reported that the tenders for the public private partner ships for the construction and management of four prisons remain valid after an agreement was reached between the Government and the companies that submitted tenders. The report said that the tenders submitted by four consortiums had remained unopened for 18 months while the Department of Correctional Services was considering scrapping them. It further said that although there were concerns that the tenders were only valid for one month, an agreement was reached to extend the validity of the tenders for one year. Original report in Afrikaans . Reported by Sake24, 7 November 2010, at http://www.sake24.com/Algemene_Sakenuus/Tronk-vennootskappe-met-staat-gaan-voort- 20101106 Solidarity obtains warrant to seize DCS assets : News24 reported that the trade union Solidarity obtained a warrant to seize assets worth about R40 000 from the Department of Correctional Services for failing to pay a legal bill. The report said that the D CS had offered to pay legal costs incurred by Solidarity after DCS had failed to challenge a proceeding related to affirmative action, which had been brought by the trade union, but had failed to pay the costs. It also said that Dirk Hermann, Secretary Gen eral of Solidarity, said that "it seems that the state (...) uses litigation in an attempt to bankrupt civic organisations financed by ordinary South Africans" and it was for that reason that the organisation obtained a warrant to seize DCS assets. Reporte d by News24, 10 November 2010, at http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Solidarity-to- seize-government-assets-20101110-2 Department ordered to promote official : News .24 reported that the trade union Solidarity and the Department of Correctional Services had reached a settlement in the Labour Court in Johannesburg in the affirmative action case of Herman Denysschen. In terms of the court order, Denysschen would be prom oted to assistant director of PAS System Management backdated to June 2008, and correctional services would pay the costs of the matter. Denysschen's application for promotion was turned down on the grounds of affirmative action even though an interview pa nel, where 75% of those conducting the interview were black, recommended him for the position. However, no other candidate was appointed to the position and Denysschen had been acting in it since then. Reported by SAPA. 11 November 2010. http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/White-prison-official-to-be-promoted-20101111 AWAITING TRIAL PRISONERS Top of Page Parliament told of increase in number of awaiting trial prisoners : News24 reported that Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services was briefed on the increase in the number of awaiting trial prisoners being held in South African prisons. The report said that Parliament was told that as of 17 August 2010, there were 47 414 awaiting trial prisoners compared to 45 861 awaiting trial prisoners in August 2009. It also said at least 2080 awaiting trial prisoners were being held for more than two years while they wait for their trials to either begin or finish. The report also made reference to a significant number of awaiting trial prisoners who have been held for longer periods without trial. Reported by News24, at http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/2-080-in-jail-over-2-years-awaiting-trial-20101103 Terre'Blanche killers to be tried by the same court: IOL reported that the NPA announced that there would be no separation of trial for the two suspects accused of killing former right-wing leader Eugene Terre'Blanche. The report said that Chris Mahlangu and his 15-year-old co- accused were due to appear in the Ventersdorp Magistrate Court on 22 November 2010. It also said that the co-accused would appear tog ether in the same court, but they would be tried under different legislation. The report also said that Mahlangu, who had been released on R5000 bail in July 2010, was re-arrested in October 2010 after the Pretoria High Court held that the Ventersdorp magi strate who awarded him bail had made incomprehensive findings. Reported by News24, 19 November 2010, at http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/no- separation-of-et-trial-npa-1.847675 PAROLE AND SENTENCING Top of Page Two men get life sentences for killing policeman : The Witness reported that the KwaZulu-Natal High Court sentenced two men to life imprisonment for the murder of police constable, Nomvula Ngubane, of the Phoenix Police Station. The report said that Frans Spelele Nkomo, Godfrey N komo and Skhumbuzo Ndlovo had been charged with the murder and theft of Ngubane's vehicle. It also said that the third suspect, Ndlovo died before the delivery of the judgment. Reported by Lloyd Burnard, 3 November 2010, the Witness at http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=50123 Lawyer tells about deterioration in Derby-Lewis's health : IOL reported that Clive Derby-Lewis's lawyer, Marius Coertze, said that his client's cancer had spread to other parts of his body and it is worse than expected. The report said that Derby-Lewis, convicted for the murder of South Africa Communist Party leader, Chris Hani, was operated on to remove the last of the skin cancer from his face when it was found that the cancer had spread to internal organs. Reported by IOL, 4 November 2010, at http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/derby-lewis-trying-to- stay-positive-1.708504 Prisoners challenge parole regime : The Mercury reported that two men, Brian and Ravi Naidoo, who have been in prison for the past twenty years, took the Department of Correctio nal Services to court for failing to release them on parole. The report said that the men's contention was rooted in a Constitutional Court judgment of September 2010, of which the effect was that prisoners who were sentenced to life imprisonment before 19 94 had to serve a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 15 years before they could be considered for release on parole. The report further said that the two men had alleged that they had to be released on parole after serving 15 years in 2003 and that they were being held in prison unlawfully for the past seven years. Reported by Mercury, 6 November 2010, at https://secure.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/accountingloginse.aspx?returnurl=%2fepaper%2f pageview.aspx%3fissue%3d64032010110800000000001001%26page%3d4%26articleid%3d18b eb138-2a55-40d6-9448- 4e16e0bb0842%26articlekey%3d1HOMU6B5GuY%252bPTKZRuHpCg%253d%253d%26preview mode%3d2&authreq=4c8aac1b-596d-4319-afb9-538d56b5652e Human trafficking case - sentence delayed : The Independent reported that the sentencing hearing of a possible first conviction for human trafficking in South Africa's legal history had been delayed. The report said that the sentencing hearing had been plagued with interpreter difficulties. It also said that Basheer Sayed and Somcharee Chuchumporn were convicted in March 2010 on 16 charges ranging from racketeering to sexual exploitation and money laundering. Reported by the Independent, 6 November 2010, at http://independentonsaturday.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx Presidential pardons - victims may be ignored : The Sowetan reported that victims risk not receiving i nformation on the issue of presidential pardons to be given to offenders sentenced for offences such as murder, robbery and theft, which were politically motivated. The report said that the SA Coalition for Transitional Justice (SACT) argued that the Depar tment of Justice did not set aside enough time for victims to speak out against those who are about to receive political pardons. It said that President Zuma is expected to pardon 149 people, but the victims, who have up to 4 December 2010 to object to the decision, have not been directly informed due to, among others, obstacles to reach them and the short period of time given to convey the information to them. Reported by Michael Nkalane, 12 November 2010, Sowetan at http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2010/11/12/furore-over-zuma-pardons-as-victims-are- sidelined Policeman gets 12 years for murder : IOL reported that a police constable from the Free State, Elliot Khaka, wa s found guilty of murder and sentenced to twelve years imprisonment. According to the report, the victim was shot twice in the chest and head before Khaka left the crime scene and later returned to shoot him again. Reported by IOL, 15 November 2010, at http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/constable-sentenced-for-murder-1.810448 Former death row prisoners to apply for parole : The Herald reported that former death row prisoners may soon walk free after the Constitutional Court ruled that they may apply for parole within 10 to 15 years of being sentenced.