By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Two decades after Luyanda Mboniswa was convicted of the murder of former first lady Marike de Klerk, he has been granted parole.
The Department of Correctional Services confirmed that Mboniswa will be released from prison at the end of August.
De Klerk, the ex-wife of former president FW de Klerk, was murdered during a robbery in December 2001.
Mboniswa was sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2003 for the killing of de Klerk. He was 21 years old at the time of sentencing.
The charges included murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and housebreaking.
He broke into the former first lady’s beachfront apartment at Dolphin Beach in Tableview and stabbed de Klerk, who was 64 years old at the time of the incident.
Mboniswa had been working as a security guard at the premises.
Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said Mboniswa was considered for parole placement having served the minimum required time.
“The minister is empowered by Section 78 of the Correctional Services Act 111 of 1998 to make a determination on those sentenced to life.”
Nxumalo said Mboniswa will be expected to comply with a specific set of parole conditions.
“He will be assigned a monitoring official to render supervision duties. Normal parole conditions will apply, such as, being restricted to his magisterial district.
“He is also not allowed to have contact with the family of the victim and shall not change his residential address without informing the monitoring official.
“To be emphasised, parole placement forms part of the total rehabilitation programme in correcting the offending behaviour and may include continuation of programmes in the system of community corrections,” Nxumalo added.