It is not as though we never expected this to happen but now South Africa’s correctional services department was forced to deny that Paralypian Oscar Pistorius was receiving special treatment at the Kgosi Mampuru Prison (the Old Pretoria Central).
South Africa’s Sunday Times reported several rules were flouted for Pistorius on Saturday while celebrating his 28th birthday. The paper reported that Pistorius’s brother Carl and sister Aimee were allowed to bring the former Blade Runner a string of balloons, gift bag and cake purchased outside the prison. According to the department of correctional services’ rules for sentenced offenders, inmates were only allowed “delicacies” bought at the prison tuck shop (we wonder what these could be?).
The two also visited Pistorius for almost two hours, despite departmental guidelines stipulating visits were not allowed to exceed one hour.
Earlier Chech fugitive Radovan Krejcir complained in a letter that the bicycle and treadmill he had installed next to his single cell to exercise “was offered to Mr Oscar Pistorius, to train on, on his arrival at this facility… without my knowledge.”
The equipment has since been moved away from his cell, SAPA reported.
And in slightly more lighter vain, the department of correctional services dismissed reports that Pistorius would not be eligible for correctional supervision because an electronic monitoring device cannot be fitted to his ankle.
* The Waterkloof Four – Frikkie du Preez, Christoff Becker, Gert van Schalkwyk and Reinach Tiedt – a bunch of arrogant spoilt brats who killed a homeless man in a park in Pretoria in 2001 were released on parole on 11 February 2014. However, Becker and Du Preez had their parole revoked when a video emerged of the pair allegedly drinking alcohol and using a cellphone (mobile) in the prison. Becker and Du Preez were sent back to prison on February 28.
