THE Department of Correctional Services has denied claims that four notorious serial killers will be released on parole this year.
This comes after a post on social media claimed that prisoners convicted for killing more than 100 people will be released on parole after serving 25 years of their life sentences.
Christopher Mhlengwa Zikode, Stewart Wilken, Cedric Maake, and Lazarus Mazingane are serving multiple life sentences.
The department's spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo said the inmates were not listed for parole consideration as they are not ready to be reintegrated into society.
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Nxumalo said inmates are considered eligible for parole placement after serving the minimum required time.
“When deemed not ready or not fit to be reintegrated back to society, a recommendation is made in terms of other interventions that must assist those inmates in terms of rehabilitation until they are ready for social reintegration.”
“It is not a matter of how many times has a file been submitted for parole placement, but more about a person being ready to be placed out,” he said.
Nxumalo said the fact that an offender is eligible for placement on parole or under correctional supervision does not mean that conditional placement will be granted automatically.
“It is not a right an offender can lay claim to. It has to be earned,” Nxumalo said.
Speaking on the four men, Nxumalo said the inmates have submitted for parole considerations previously.
Mazingane, known as the "Nasrec Serial Killer" was sentenced to 17 life sentences plus 700 years in prison for 21 charges of rape, 16 murders and 20 counts of robbery in December 2002.
Serial killer Maake dubbed "Deranged Killer" or "Wemmer Pan Killer" was sentenced to 1 340 years for 27 counts of murder, 26 attempted murders, 14 rapes and 41 robberies in September 2000.
Mhlengwa, known as the "Donnybrook Killer," was found guilty of 18 murders and 10 counts of rape in KZN and was sentenced to 140 years, and got five life sentences.
Wilken "Boetie Boer", was sentenced to seven life sentences in February 1998 for seven counts of murder and two counts of Sodomy in Gqeberha, formally known as Port Elizabeth, and one of his victims was his daughter.
