By: Natasha Archary
Oscar Pistorius will learn about his parole fate on Friday, 24 November after the Constitutional Court ruled that the paralympian was eligible for parole in March 2023.
The convicted murderer who was initially sentenced to 6 years in 2014 for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, had his sentence increased to 13 years and 5 months in 2017.
In October, Pistorius who has been pushing for parole since 2021, approached the ConCourt pleading for parole citing he had served half his sentence in March 2021.
The ConCourt ruled that Pistorius should be granted parole as follows:
It is declared that, on the proper interpretation of the Supreme Court of Appeal’s judgment delivered on 24 November 2017, and in terms of the subsequent order of the Supreme Court of Appeal issued on 21 January 2021, the sentence imposed by the Supreme Court of Appeal was, in terms of section 282 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977, antedated to 06 July 2016.
Reeva’s parents Barry and June were against Pistorius being released on parole, saying the 36-year-old did not exhibit any remorse for killing their daughter.
Barry Steenkamp died at the age of 80 on 14 September without getting any closure from Pistorius over his daughter’s brutal death.
Department of Correctional Services’ National Spokesperson, Singabakho Nxumalo told eNCA that there was confusion around the dates of Pistorius’ prison sentence because of the initial sentence he received, and then the Supreme Court of Appeal’s increased sentence in 2017.
“The reason we’re here, in March the calculations that we had were of the view he had served the time. Then there was that last minute order from the Supreme Court which said there was still outstanding time.
That’s when Mr Pistorius took us to court to argue that order was incorrect and the Constitutional Court agreed with him, hence we are here today.
The decision comes down to the parole board who will make a determination if Mr Pistorius is eligible for parole.”
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