Publication: Business Day Issued: Date: 2007-01-16 Reporter: Wyndham Hartley Reporter: Sapa

Outcry at Yengeni Release ‘Disgrace’ 

 

Publication 

Business Day
Date 2007-01-16

Reporter

 Wyndham Hartley with Sapa

Web Link

www.businessday.co.za

 

Cape Town ­ Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour was accused of failing SA as an unrepentant Tony Yengeni walked from Malmesbury Prison declaring he should not have been there in the first place.

Yengeni, sentenced to four years in prison for fraud, was released into “correctional supervision” after apparently serving half of the prescribed one-sixth of his sentence required before it becomes an option.

Opposition spokesmen said his release was “disgusting”, “a farce”, “disgraceful” and a “betrayal of the public”.

Although he was evidently told not to talk to the press, Yengeni told supporters and reporters it was a great day for him, his family and the African National Congress (ANC).

“I am now walking out of this prison, the place I was not supposed to be in the first place, but we’ll leave that to a later stage,” he was quoted as saying.

ANC provincial chairman James Ngculu said Yengeni’s critics were defenders of apartheid. He said it was unfair for some people to deny the disgraced former ANC chief whip forgiveness while they were forgiven *1 for supporting apartheid. He said he rejected such hypocrisy with contempt.

Democratic Alliance MP James Selfe said: “As an unrepentant and self-righteous Tony Yengeni was released into correctional supervision this morning, it was clear that the correctional services department has done itself and SA no favours in its supposed fight to punish and rehabilitate offenders.

“Had Yengeni served at least a sixth of his sentence, as he was required to do, he would have been in prison for eight months. As it stands, he is being released after only slightly over four months. What factors did the parole board take into account, given that Yengeni is so clearly remorseless and has brazenly broken several rules during his imprisonment?”

Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) MP Sybil Seaton said Balfour had promised there would be no special treatment for Yengeni. “Every rule in the book has been changed to accommodate Yengeni. The IFP wonders how government supposes ordinary South Africans should have any faith in the criminal justice system if convicted criminals are treated like VIPs and set free without even serving a 10th of their sentence,” Seaton said.

Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille said: “It is disgusting Tony Yengeni has served such a short term.

“This is no example to South Africans.”

With acknowledgements to Wyndham Hartley, Sapa and Business Day.


*1       The ANC and its supporters self-righteously claim that they have forgiven everybody for apartheid.

Yet most of their biggest gabbas in the new dispensation are the very perpetrators of this short-sighted and, in the greater scheme of things, relatively short-lived blight on the social-political landscape.

Get it behind us and start applying the rules of law, consistency and logic.