RACIST MISOGYNIST WHITE MAN
Danai Nesta Kupemba - BBC News
Fri, January 5, 2024
Reeva Steenkamp is one of the many victims of femicide in South Africa
Should men who murder women be entitled to the privilege of parole?
This question around the early release of inmates, albeit under certain conditions, has been raised in South Africa following the freeing on parole of former Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius.
This was after he had served half of his sentence for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day in 2013.
South Africa has a particular problem with femicide and violence against women. In 2020, a woman died at the hands of her intimate partner on average every eight hours, according to a study by the University of the Free State.
In 2019, South Africa ranked among the five countries with the highest rates of the murder of women, according to the United Nations.
This is why campaigners think an exception should be made for the perpetrators of these crimes to the country's normal rules around early release.
For Michael van Niekerk, the fact that Pistorius is now out of prison "feels like a kick to the gut".
He is the founder of Keep the Energy, an organisation that spreads awareness about violence against women, children and LGBTQ+ people in South Africa.
Mr Van Niekerk fervently believes that those responsible for gender-based violence and murder should not be granted parole.
Beyond the numbers of women murdered, South Africa also has extremely high levels of rape - in the three-month period between July and September last year, for example, more than 10,500 incidents were reported to the police.
"I have seen men get released and commit the same crimes over and over again," he says.
Oscar Pistorius, seen here outside court in 2014, will be on parole for the next five years
But Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for the justice ministry, says that people have misunderstood the nature of parole.
It is "crucial to understand that parole does not equate to absolute freedom at all", he tells the BBC.
The purpose of parole is to rehabilitate offenders and guide them back into society.
Mr Phiri says the argument that perpetrators should not get parole is rooted in a "misunderstanding that [it] signifies complete freedom - which is certainly not the case".
Pistorius will be monitored by the authorities for five years until his more than 13-year sentence expires in 2029. He will have to abide by certain conditions, for example being confined to the home for certain hours each day, as well as a ban on drinking alcohol.
He will also have to attend therapy sessions, including programmes on gender-based violence.
This has gone some way to reassure the mother of the woman he killed. Last year, June Steenkamp said she would be "concerned for the safety of any woman" who came into contact with him after he was freed.
But these measures do not satisfy everyone.
"There is a lack of thinking, or empathy for victims in this scenario," says Mbali Pfeiffer Shongwe.
The 24-year-old activist, who works with Instagram account Girls Against Oppression, is a survivor of gender-based violence, and is frustrated with the country's parole system.
She believes anyone convicted of murder, rape, serious assault, theft, kidnapping, public violence and other serious crimes should not get parole.
"The most basic form of respect would be for a full sentence to be served," she says.
But there are some who believe it is right that Pistorius is no longer in prison.
The BBC spoke to several people who supported his early release but chose to remain anonymous for fear of a backlash against them.
One 25-year old woman believes that Pistorius has paid his penance.
"He has done his time, he has been rehabilitated. He is not a threat to society," she said, adding that because of his notoriety he will have a difficult life whether or not he is in prison.
June Steenkamp did not oppose her daughter's killer being freed. "No amount of time served will bring Reeva back. We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence."
"It just feels like woman are screaming into the abyss. It's like our cries are not being heard"", Source: Palesa Muano Ramurunzi, Source description: University of Cape Town law graduate, Image: Palesa Muano Ramurunzi
However, for many there is a wider point to be made.
"It just feels like women are screaming into the abyss. It's like our cries aren't being heard," says Palesa Muano Ramurunzi, a 25-year-old University of Cape Town law graduate.
She is fed up with the level of violence that women in her country face. Her belief that barring parole for those convicted of crimes relating to gender-based violence is not meant to "undermine other forms of violence but to confront an urgent crisis".
"There is a palpable sense of entitlement that men often harbour towards the bodies of women," Ms Ramurunzi says, her voice filled with hopelessness.
The ever-present possibility of being killed is a devastating thread linking many women in South Africa.
Ms Steenkamp's last Instagram post proved to be a foreshadow of the tragedy that befell her.
My friend Reeva Steenkamp
The post condemned the killing of 18-year-old Anene Booysen who had been gang-raped, disembowelled and dumped in a construction site in the Western Cape in February 2013.
Her caption read: "I woke up in a happy safe home this morning. Not everyone did. Speak out against the rape of individuals in SA. RIP Anene Booysen."
The murder of Ms Booysen dominated local and international headlines - until Ms Steenkamp's own murder took over the news cycle less than two weeks later.
There have been numerous protests and government promises regarding gender-based violence
Mara Glennie, founder of Tears, a South African domestic abuse helpline, says femicide is "deeply entrenched in institutions and traditions in South Africa".
"In a nation with some of the world's highest levels of violence against women, the laws are failing women," she says.
Even the government has struggled to address the issue, she argues.
"The government has set up task forces and made promises to the women of this country. And yet, after decades of promises, femicide and gender-based violence remain consistently pervasive," Ms Glennie says.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed action to address the rampant levels of femicide in South Africa, calling it an "an assault on our humanity".
The threat of violence shrouds every aspect of women's lives in the country, with new fears forming with each case.
The post office, the park and their own home are places to be hyper-vigilant, and never completely safe.
Ms Shongwe says even after South African women experience violence and survive, it is never the last time.
"You are always looking out for what might happen next," she says.
You may also be interested in:
Are men the key to fighting rape?
'I was raped, now I fear for my daughters'
Will I be next? South Africa women ask
What next for Oscar Pistorius?
Paralympian Oscar Pistorius Released 3 Years Early From Prison
Afouda Bamidele
Fri, January 5, 2024
MEGA
South Africa's former Paralympic star, Oscar Pistorius, has finally tasted freedom after nearly a decade behind bars for murdering his girlfriend.
He shot Reeva Steenkamp multiple times through a bathroom door in 2013, claiming he mistook her for a burglar. However, the former professional sprinter was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to 13 years and five months.
After serving ten years of his prison sentence, Pistorius was released on parole with strict conditions — an arrangement Steenkamp's mother welcomed but stressed that no punishment could ever fill the hole of her daughter's absence.
Oscar Pistorius Will Live Under Strict Rules Until His Sentence Expires In 2029
Under South African law, all convicts are entitled to parole under certain conditions and are considered eligible once they have served half their total sentence. Pistorius's early release comes three years shy of completing his 13-year and five-month term.
But leaving his prison cell did not automatically grant the double-amputee athlete complete freedom. As stated, he will live under strict conditions, with most of his time spent indoors until his sentence expires in 2029.
For specific hours of the day, Pistorius will be confined in his home, where he is not allowed to speak to the media or consume alcohol. He must also attend therapy to deal with issues relating to gender-based violence and anger.
Following his release, the former Olympic gold medalist is believed to have sought refuge at his uncle's home, per BBC. His relative reportedly lives in an upmarket suburb in Pretoria. It is still being determined if this is where Pistorius plans to live out the remainder of his sentence.
While Pistorius figures out his life, he owes part of his early release to his late girlfriend's mother, June. In a statement, the Steenkamp matriarch noted that she accepted the decision to release her daughter's killer since her family had "always known that parole is part of the South African legal system."
She heartily welcomed the strict conditions placed on Pistorius and noted that the "law must take its course." Despite accepting these terms, June stressed that nothing could ever make her daughter's absence right. In her words:
"Has there been justice for Reeva? Has Oscar served enough time? There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back. We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence."
She continued, "My only desire is that I will be allowed to live my last years in peace with my focus remaining on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, to continue Reeva's legacy."
Oscar Pistorius Was Granted Parole After Board's Assessment Of His Profile
Before his release, the South African Department of Correctional Services announced that Pistorius would be granted parole in November 2023. They noted that he was released early after a parole board reviewed his case.
They dropped the news via a statement on social media, writing: "The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) confirms parole placement for Mr Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius, effectively from 5 January 2024."
"Mr Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide in 2014, but the case went through a number of appeals and was eventually ratified to 13 years and five months in 2017," their statement continued.
The correctional services department stressed the importance of parole placement as part of the rehabilitation program to deal with "offending behavior." They also noted authorities would keep an eye on Pistorius until he finished his sentence, writing:
"Mr Pistorius will complete the remainder of the sentence in the system of community corrections and will be subjected to supervision in compliance with parole conditions until his sentence expires."
The news evoked fans' sympathy, with many calling for Pistorius to be released sooner. "Let the man go home, why are you still keeping him until January?" Someone wondered, while another penned: "He served his time shame. Now he can go back to running, continue his career, get a new Reeva, have a family. Life goes on."
Additionally, sources noted Pistorius's parole conditions included therapy because his late girlfriend's mother had expressed concerns about his "huge anger issues." In a letter to the parole board, June noted she was worried about the "safety of any woman" who would encounter her daughter's killer after his release.
Danai Nesta Kupemba - BBC News
Fri, January 5, 2024
Reeva Steenkamp is one of the many victims of femicide in South Africa
Should men who murder women be entitled to the privilege of parole?
This question around the early release of inmates, albeit under certain conditions, has been raised in South Africa following the freeing on parole of former Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius.
This was after he had served half of his sentence for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day in 2013.
South Africa has a particular problem with femicide and violence against women. In 2020, a woman died at the hands of her intimate partner on average every eight hours, according to a study by the University of the Free State.
In 2019, South Africa ranked among the five countries with the highest rates of the murder of women, according to the United Nations.
This is why campaigners think an exception should be made for the perpetrators of these crimes to the country's normal rules around early release.
For Michael van Niekerk, the fact that Pistorius is now out of prison "feels like a kick to the gut".
He is the founder of Keep the Energy, an organisation that spreads awareness about violence against women, children and LGBTQ+ people in South Africa.
Mr Van Niekerk fervently believes that those responsible for gender-based violence and murder should not be granted parole.
Beyond the numbers of women murdered, South Africa also has extremely high levels of rape - in the three-month period between July and September last year, for example, more than 10,500 incidents were reported to the police.
"I have seen men get released and commit the same crimes over and over again," he says.
Oscar Pistorius, seen here outside court in 2014, will be on parole for the next five years
But Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for the justice ministry, says that people have misunderstood the nature of parole.
It is "crucial to understand that parole does not equate to absolute freedom at all", he tells the BBC.
The purpose of parole is to rehabilitate offenders and guide them back into society.
Mr Phiri says the argument that perpetrators should not get parole is rooted in a "misunderstanding that [it] signifies complete freedom - which is certainly not the case".
Pistorius will be monitored by the authorities for five years until his more than 13-year sentence expires in 2029. He will have to abide by certain conditions, for example being confined to the home for certain hours each day, as well as a ban on drinking alcohol.
He will also have to attend therapy sessions, including programmes on gender-based violence.
This has gone some way to reassure the mother of the woman he killed. Last year, June Steenkamp said she would be "concerned for the safety of any woman" who came into contact with him after he was freed.
But these measures do not satisfy everyone.
"There is a lack of thinking, or empathy for victims in this scenario," says Mbali Pfeiffer Shongwe.
The 24-year-old activist, who works with Instagram account Girls Against Oppression, is a survivor of gender-based violence, and is frustrated with the country's parole system.
She believes anyone convicted of murder, rape, serious assault, theft, kidnapping, public violence and other serious crimes should not get parole.
"The most basic form of respect would be for a full sentence to be served," she says.
But there are some who believe it is right that Pistorius is no longer in prison.
The BBC spoke to several people who supported his early release but chose to remain anonymous for fear of a backlash against them.
One 25-year old woman believes that Pistorius has paid his penance.
"He has done his time, he has been rehabilitated. He is not a threat to society," she said, adding that because of his notoriety he will have a difficult life whether or not he is in prison.
June Steenkamp did not oppose her daughter's killer being freed. "No amount of time served will bring Reeva back. We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence."
"It just feels like woman are screaming into the abyss. It's like our cries are not being heard"", Source: Palesa Muano Ramurunzi, Source description: University of Cape Town law graduate, Image: Palesa Muano Ramurunzi
However, for many there is a wider point to be made.
"It just feels like women are screaming into the abyss. It's like our cries aren't being heard," says Palesa Muano Ramurunzi, a 25-year-old University of Cape Town law graduate.
She is fed up with the level of violence that women in her country face. Her belief that barring parole for those convicted of crimes relating to gender-based violence is not meant to "undermine other forms of violence but to confront an urgent crisis".
"There is a palpable sense of entitlement that men often harbour towards the bodies of women," Ms Ramurunzi says, her voice filled with hopelessness.
The ever-present possibility of being killed is a devastating thread linking many women in South Africa.
Ms Steenkamp's last Instagram post proved to be a foreshadow of the tragedy that befell her.
My friend Reeva Steenkamp
The post condemned the killing of 18-year-old Anene Booysen who had been gang-raped, disembowelled and dumped in a construction site in the Western Cape in February 2013.
Her caption read: "I woke up in a happy safe home this morning. Not everyone did. Speak out against the rape of individuals in SA. RIP Anene Booysen."
The murder of Ms Booysen dominated local and international headlines - until Ms Steenkamp's own murder took over the news cycle less than two weeks later.
There have been numerous protests and government promises regarding gender-based violence
Mara Glennie, founder of Tears, a South African domestic abuse helpline, says femicide is "deeply entrenched in institutions and traditions in South Africa".
"In a nation with some of the world's highest levels of violence against women, the laws are failing women," she says.
Even the government has struggled to address the issue, she argues.
"The government has set up task forces and made promises to the women of this country. And yet, after decades of promises, femicide and gender-based violence remain consistently pervasive," Ms Glennie says.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed action to address the rampant levels of femicide in South Africa, calling it an "an assault on our humanity".
The threat of violence shrouds every aspect of women's lives in the country, with new fears forming with each case.
The post office, the park and their own home are places to be hyper-vigilant, and never completely safe.
Ms Shongwe says even after South African women experience violence and survive, it is never the last time.
"You are always looking out for what might happen next," she says.
You may also be interested in:
Are men the key to fighting rape?
'I was raped, now I fear for my daughters'
Will I be next? South Africa women ask
What next for Oscar Pistorius?
Paralympian Oscar Pistorius Released 3 Years Early From Prison
Afouda Bamidele
Fri, January 5, 2024
MEGA
South Africa's former Paralympic star, Oscar Pistorius, has finally tasted freedom after nearly a decade behind bars for murdering his girlfriend.
He shot Reeva Steenkamp multiple times through a bathroom door in 2013, claiming he mistook her for a burglar. However, the former professional sprinter was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to 13 years and five months.
After serving ten years of his prison sentence, Pistorius was released on parole with strict conditions — an arrangement Steenkamp's mother welcomed but stressed that no punishment could ever fill the hole of her daughter's absence.
Oscar Pistorius Will Live Under Strict Rules Until His Sentence Expires In 2029
Under South African law, all convicts are entitled to parole under certain conditions and are considered eligible once they have served half their total sentence. Pistorius's early release comes three years shy of completing his 13-year and five-month term.
But leaving his prison cell did not automatically grant the double-amputee athlete complete freedom. As stated, he will live under strict conditions, with most of his time spent indoors until his sentence expires in 2029.
For specific hours of the day, Pistorius will be confined in his home, where he is not allowed to speak to the media or consume alcohol. He must also attend therapy to deal with issues relating to gender-based violence and anger.
Following his release, the former Olympic gold medalist is believed to have sought refuge at his uncle's home, per BBC. His relative reportedly lives in an upmarket suburb in Pretoria. It is still being determined if this is where Pistorius plans to live out the remainder of his sentence.
While Pistorius figures out his life, he owes part of his early release to his late girlfriend's mother, June. In a statement, the Steenkamp matriarch noted that she accepted the decision to release her daughter's killer since her family had "always known that parole is part of the South African legal system."
She heartily welcomed the strict conditions placed on Pistorius and noted that the "law must take its course." Despite accepting these terms, June stressed that nothing could ever make her daughter's absence right. In her words:
"Has there been justice for Reeva? Has Oscar served enough time? There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back. We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence."
She continued, "My only desire is that I will be allowed to live my last years in peace with my focus remaining on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, to continue Reeva's legacy."
Oscar Pistorius Was Granted Parole After Board's Assessment Of His Profile
Before his release, the South African Department of Correctional Services announced that Pistorius would be granted parole in November 2023. They noted that he was released early after a parole board reviewed his case.
They dropped the news via a statement on social media, writing: "The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) confirms parole placement for Mr Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius, effectively from 5 January 2024."
"Mr Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide in 2014, but the case went through a number of appeals and was eventually ratified to 13 years and five months in 2017," their statement continued.
The correctional services department stressed the importance of parole placement as part of the rehabilitation program to deal with "offending behavior." They also noted authorities would keep an eye on Pistorius until he finished his sentence, writing:
"Mr Pistorius will complete the remainder of the sentence in the system of community corrections and will be subjected to supervision in compliance with parole conditions until his sentence expires."
The news evoked fans' sympathy, with many calling for Pistorius to be released sooner. "Let the man go home, why are you still keeping him until January?" Someone wondered, while another penned: "He served his time shame. Now he can go back to running, continue his career, get a new Reeva, have a family. Life goes on."
Additionally, sources noted Pistorius's parole conditions included therapy because his late girlfriend's mother had expressed concerns about his "huge anger issues." In a letter to the parole board, June noted she was worried about the "safety of any woman" who would encounter her daughter's killer after his release.
No comments:
Post a Comment