THE Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has confirmed that convicted murderer, Paralympian Oscar Pistorius, has been moved from a correctional facility in Pretoria to a prison in Gqeberha.
DCS spokesperson, Singabakho Nxumalo, said the move was part of a process in which Pistorius is eligible for parole after serving half of his 13-year sentence.
The disgraced athlete has been serving the sentence for the murder of his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
Steenkamp’s parents live in the Eastern Cape.
“The transfer is necessitated by the need to commence with the processes of a victim-offender dialogue, as the victims are based in Gqeberha. Offenders participate in the victim-offender dialogue as part of their rehabilitation path, wherein they are able to acknowledge the harm they have caused to their victims and society at large,” Nxumalo added.
He said the victim-offender dialogue was an internal process.
“Victim-offender dialogues are sensitive and emotional; hence they are presided [over] by highly trained officials, who ought to ensure that all parties derive value from the process. DCS is unable to pre-empt the time frame, as this will be guided by the level of preparedness by all participants.”
He added that victim-offender dialogues were not a parole placement process, but a programme that took place before an offender could be considered for parole.
