Pretoria - Former paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius will not be a completely free man from August 21, according to the Department of Correctional Services.
However, he will be placed on probation after spending 10 months in jail for shooting and killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
The Department of Correctional Service’s said the law states that an offender may be released after serving one sixth of the sentence and continue to serve the remaining period under correctional supervision.
Pistorius, who shot dead his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day in 2013, was found guilty last year of culpable homicide and sentenced to five years in prison.
The department’s Acting National Commissioner Zach Modise has confirmed that the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board (CSPB) of Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre has approved the placement of Pistorius under correctional supervision with effect from 21 August 2015.
“The CSPB has approved that Pistorius be placed under correctional supervision, as a probationer, in line with Section 276 (1) (i) of the Criminal Procedure Act, read together with the Correctional Services Act, Act 111 of 1998, as amended that says an offender may serve only one sixth of his/her sentence in custody, and continue to serve the remaining period of the sentence under correctional supervision,” the department said on Monday.
In line with the provisions of both the Criminal Procedure and Correctional Services Acts, the department said the Steenkamp family was invited and participated in the deliberations of Correctional Supervision and Parole Board.
The State’s appeal against Pistorius’ culpable homicide conviction will still be heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal in November.
Correctional Services spokesperson Manelisi Wolela explained that the implementation of the sentence as directed by court, as well as the provisions of Correctional Services Act (Act 111 of 1998), is an independent and separate process from any pending appeals. - SAnews.gov.za
