Tightening Bail Laws: Minister Kubayi Moves to Amend Parole and Criminal Procedure Act

(The Post News)- Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has confirmed that the department will commit itself to amending the South African parole laws and the Criminal Procedure Act. The decision comes after police reported that three suspects linked to the murder of Olorato Mongale, a 30-year-old Wits University student, were released on bail in April this year. Two of these suspects were arrested in connection to kidnapping and robbery last month.

Mongale was found murdered on Sunday, May 25, after she was reported missing in the early hours. It’s reported that she was going on a date with a man she would be meeting for the first time in Kew, Johannesburg.

Kubayi says the department will collaborate with the Department of Correctional Services in reviewing the parole laws and the Criminal Procedure Act. The minister has promised to introduce temporary solutions to help deal with areas experiencing high crime rates.

In 2017, former President Jacob Zuma initiated a process to review South Africa’s bail laws in response to public concerns about the government taking stronger action against crime, as they claimed that courts were being too lenient in releasing criminals.

Meanwhile, the man who is purported to be a main suspect in the murder of Mongale has been shot and killed in a shootout with police. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says the man was shot after attempting to shoot at the police in KwaZulu-Natal.