Hardened Western Cape criminals, a constant headache for the Justice and Correctional Services Department, are proving to be serial violators of parole conditions as 8 221 of them have broken regulations since 2019.

A grand total of 6677 Western Cape parolees have been rearrested since then, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola told MPs.

He was responding to questions posed by DA MP Alexandra Abrahams, who inquired about the total number of parolees who had violated their parole conditions annually since January 1, 2020; parolees who have been re-arrested and/or taken back to jail; those who remain out of jail; and the percentage of absconders who remain on the run for Schedule 8 crimes.

Schedule 8 crimes include rape, murder, human trafficking, robbery and culpable homicide.

Lamola said 8221 criminals in the Western Cape had violated their parole conditions since January 1, 2020, which is second only to KwaZuluNatal’s 8 265.

The Western Cape’s share the of national total had jumped from 2 983 in 2020 to 11969.

Lamola’s figures showed that the Western Cape has consistently had the highest number of re-arrested parolees.

Cops re-arrested 640 between January 2020 and March; 1 888 between April 2020 and March 2021; 2 129 from April 2021 and March 2022; and 2 020 between April 2022 and this

January. Lamola said only 1991 Western Cape parolees have managed to remain out of jail.

He said 75.79% absconders remain on the run for certain Schedule 8 offences.

In 2003, a Mpumalanga serial rapist Collen Fakude was slapped with 27 years in jail for rape, robbery and being in possession of an illegal gun. In some instances, Fakude forced the victims’ boyfriends and relatives to watch.

In 2013, Fakude was granted parole, serving only 10 years of his sentence. Upon his release, Fakude returned to his old ways, raping four women – again in full view of two victims’ helpless boyfriend and a relative.

The convicted rapist is now back in prison serving 154 years and three life terms for the rapes.

soyiso.maliti@inl.co.za

Cape Argus