Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Thursday, 23 February 2012 announced the new Medical Parole Advisory Board whose responsibility will be to assist in processing medical parole applications from offenders.
The board of 10 medical doctors - three women and seven men from various parts of the country - is set to start its work on 1 March 2012 after the new medical parole system comes into place. Minister Mapisa - Nqakula introduced the board to members of the media on 23 February. She and National Commissioner Tom Moyane had earlier met with the board members and presented them with their terms of reference.
The Minister explained that the decision to appoint a new board dates back to 2009 when she took the reigns as Correctional Services Minister. During her maiden Budget Vote speech she announced a review of the Medical Parole Regulatory Framework under section 79 of the Correctional Services Act of 1998. The review of the Medical Parole Policy resulted in a new policy under the Correctional Matters Amendment Act of 2011, which was signed into law by President Jacob Zuma in May 2011.
The new system differs from the previous on, in that an offender or someone acting on the offender's behalf will, from 1 March 2012, be able to bring an application for release on medical parole. Currently (until 1 March), only the medical practitioner treating the offender could apply.
Furthermore, the placement of an offender on medical parole is no longer limited to offenders in the final phase of a terminal disease or medical condition. Apart from terminally ill inmates, the net is thrown wider to include physically incapacitated inmates and those suffering from an illness that severely limits their daily activity or self-care.
“This policy allows for flexibility. We created an instrument which we think is fair and transparent,” Minister Mapisa-Nqakula said. The board members were also given an opportunity to address the media. The board's chairperson, Dr Victor Ramathesele said they would meet in the next few days to thrash out their own guidelines. He said the board already has medical parole applications to process and promised they will deal with them as speedily as possible.
Ramathesele explained that although they are medical experts, they will ask to be allowed to engage with other experts so that they can make informed decisions.
The Minister said: “My conscience is clear because we have done the right thing as government. We have done the best to open the process to public scrutiny.”
The composition of the board's membership is as follows:
- Dr Victor Ramathesele – Chairperson (Gauteng)
- Dr Angelique Coetzee – Vice-Chairperson (Gauteng)
- Dr Sylvan Seane – Member (Free State)
- Dr Langelihle Maphumulo – Member (KwaZulu-Natal)
- Dr Abel Maminze – Member (Gauteng)
- Dr Archie Solombela – Member (Eastern Cape)
- Dr Botwekazi Mgudlwa – Member (Gauteng)
- Dr Marmol Stoltz – Member (Western Cape)
- Dr David Thekisho – Member (Free State)
- Dr Leonard Mhinga – Member (Gauteng).
