Oscar Pistorius parole hearing postponed

The CSPB of the Kgosi Mampuru II correctional centre in Pretoria held a hearing on Friday which was attended by Pistorius and his lawyer.

At the hearing it emerged that the parole board was consulting with the family of Reeva Steenkamp and that it was expected that her relatives would make a submission early next week on the possible placement of Pistorius on parole.

“The Kgosi Mampuru CSPB session followed the decision of the Parole Review Board to set aside a decision taken on 5 June 2015 to place offender Pistorius under correctional supervision on 21 August 2015. The Parole Review Board concurred with the concerns expressed by Justice and Correctional `Services Minister Michael Masutha, about the premature placement decision,” the correctional services department said in a statement.

Pistorius, who is serving a five-year sentence for culpable homicide for shooting dead his model girlfriend on Valentine’s Day 2013, had been due to be released in August, but that did not happen because it came to Masutha’s attention – while he was studying a petition objecting to the planned release on the basis of women’s rights – that the law had been misapplied. Pistorius had to serve one sixth – 10 months – of the term before he was eligible to file an application for release, the ministry explained.

South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal is also due to decide on November 3 on whether the verdict against him should be changed to murder, after the State launched an appeal. If the court changes the verdict, Pistorius faces a longer sentence. - ANA

(File photo: Gallo Images)