The man was 15 when he murdered his parents and sister in Griekwastad in April 2012, shooting them execution-style after raping his sister hours earlier.
The Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Pieter Groenewald, has confirmed that the parole bid of the convicted, infamous Griekwastad murderer has been overturned.
The Correctional Supervision and Parole Review Board (CSPB) ruled the offender must remain behind bars.
Convicted of murdering his parents and younger sister, as well as rape and defeating the ends of justice, the unnamed offender will continue serving his sentence after community pressure prompted a full review of the original parole decision, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said on Thursday.
He cannot be named as he was a minor at the time of the triple murder.
On April 6, 2012, 44-year-old Deon Steenkamp and his 43-year-old wife Christel and 14-year-old daughter Marthella were murdered by the man in the living room on their farm Naauwhoek in the Northern Cape, shot execution-style after raping his sister hours earlier.
Now 29-years-old, the man was convicted in 2012 for the brutal murders.
Review
The CSPB in Upington approved the murderer’s parole placement effective from 26 March 2026 until the expiry of his sentence on 13 March 2034.
However, following careful consideration of the matter, Groenewald resolved that the decision be subjected to a review process in accordance with the provisions of the Correctional Services Act, 111 of 1998.
Department spokesperson Euné Wessels said Groenewald’s decision to refer the matter to the CSPB followed numerous representations from the community.
“Prior to making the referral, the minister requested and considered all relevant documentation pertaining to the parole placement decision.”
Wessels said the CSPB, chaired by a Judge of the High Court, was tasked with reviewing the original decision of the Upington Correctional Supervision and Parole Board and was required to either confirm the decision or replace it with its own.
“Following its review, the CSPRB decided to replace the original decision. The offender will therefore continue serving his sentence and must comply with prescribed corrective measures within a specified timeframe before his suitability for parole placement can be reconsidered.”
