By Rachel Mohamed Najwa Dirk, who was found guilty of her role in the death of her former husband Taliep Petersen, is being considered for parole after eighteen years behind bars with the Petersen family forgiving her to set themselves free. This comes after the extended program of the Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD), which formed part of the parole proceedings at Pollsmoor prison this week. Dirk admitted to […]
The Department of Correctional Services will be engaging communities to get the public’s input on the Special Remission of Sentence. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a special remission on 16 December 2019, where some offenders had their sentences drastically reduced. However, President Ramaphosa said that those jailed for sexual offences and violent crimes would not be eligible for this special process. He said that such remissions are not new as former […]
Questions are being raised about the security of the Pollsmoor Correctional Facility after six inmates escaped from Medium B5 of the prison at 10pm on Sunday night. Five of the men, aged between 21 and 25, have since been apprehended in Kalksteenfontein, Blackheath, Stellenbosch and Ocean View. The only outstanding escapee is 20-year-old Siphenathi Ntansisofrom Kraaifontein, who was serving a four year sentence for rape. The six escaped after using […]
Three Pollsmoor prisoners have been re-arrested, while a manhunt continues for three other inmates who were escaped from the correctional facility on Sunday night. The six youth offenders escaped from the B4 section of the prison, after using their bed posts to break their cell's burglar bars. Three of the offenders, aged between 21 and 25, are believed to be on the run and could still be in Western Cape. […]
The Wynberg Magistrate’s Court is expected to rule whether Anthony Peter Freedendal, who has been found guilty of sexually abusing eight Cape Town children, should be extradited to Australia. Freedendal, 76, faces 15 charges of indecent assault, five of persistent sexual offences with a child and four charges of sexual intercourse with a minor in Australia. He was previously released on bail in Australia and travelled to Cape Town in […]
Some progress has been made in reducing overcrowding at Pollsmoor’s awaiting trial facility but there is much more to be done, says Sonke Gender Justice in a response to the Department of Correctional Services’ action plan on problems at the prison. The action plan was ordered by the Western Cape High Court after Sonke, represented by Lawyers for Human Rights, took the government and the head of Pollsmoor’s remand facility […]
The influx of prisoners continues to be a problem at the notorious Pollsmoor Correctional Services prison. The prison is currently holding almost double the amount of inmates than it can accommodate. Pollsmoor is currently housing 7,477 inmates, but it only has bed space for 4,336 people. After many long meetings with the department and many prison inspections, the Western Cape High Court in December ordered that sentence offenders are to […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
