YOLANDE DU PREEZ
THE MOTHER of one of the remaining two members of the Waterkloof Four who are still in prison has expressed joy at the release of the other two on correctional supervision.
Reinach Tiedt and Gert van Schalkwyk were released from Zonderwater Prison near Cullinan on Monday and can look forward to spending Christmas with their families.
Their co-accused, Christoff Becker and Frikkie du Preez, are serving their 12-year jail sentence in Pretoria Central Prison and are likely to be behind bars for Christmas.
Frikkie’s mother Bettie said yesterday she and her husband were grateful that Tiedt and Van Schalkwyk had been released and hoped they, too, could have their son home soon. She added that they did not have any new information.
Tiedt and Van Schalkwyk’s lawyer, Jenny Brewis, who also represents Du Preez, said she had been informed that two prison officials had been to see Becker and Du Preez yesterday afternoon to discuss the possibility of their sentences being converted to correctional supervision as well.
Chief Deputy Commissioner of Correctional Services Zachary Modise said he was not aware of any visits by officials to Becker and Du Preez.
He added that an agreement had been reached with the legal team of Van Schalkwyk and Tiedt not to pursue contempt of court charges against two senior Zonderwater Prison officials.
Modise confirmed that the department would proceed with an urgent review application of the decision made by the Pretoria Regional Court last week.
When asked if Tiedt and Van Schalkwyk would have to return to prison if the regional court upholds the application, he replied: “Let’s give the law the opportunity to take its course. If I comment on that now, it would be speculation and would cause unnecessary stress for all parties involved.”
Shortly after Tiedt and Van Schalkwyk’s release, the DA’s James Selfe said section 276A of the Criminal Procedure Act clearly states that the conversion of a sentence of imprisonment to one of correctional supervision can be granted only if there is less than five years left to serve of that sentence. Both the offenders had served only three-and-a-half years of a 12-year sentence.