The Inkatha Freedom Party is of the firm opinion that Mr Clive Derby Lewis
should have been granted medical parole.

IFP Spokesperson on Correctional Services, Mr MA Mncwango, MP, said," The
Minister of Justice based his decision for denial of parole on two reasons,
namely, that Mr Lewis suffered from stage 3 cancer and that it was requisite
that a prisoner had stage 4 cancer before being eligible for medical parole
and that he was not convinced that Mr Derby-Lewis had shown any real remorse
for his past actions.

Whilst the IFP in no manner condone the past actions of Mr Derby-Lewis, we
are of the opinion that Mr Derby-Lewis, who is terminally-ill, should have
been medically paroled and allowed to return to his home to die with
dignity"

Mncwango further added that "South Africa is a Constitutional democracy with
an entrenched Bill of Rights and founded on the principles of Ubuntu. Every
person is equal before the law and entitled to the same protection.
It would appear that there are double standards at play, specifically when
contrasting the stringent application of criteria for medical parole in this
instance versus those applied in the case of Mr Schabir Shaik for example.

The IFP call for uniform application and consideration of the criteria
associated with medical parole, based principally on human dignity, for all
citizens and not just the politically well connected.

We also call upon the Minister to consider the cases of liberation fighters
who are still languishing in jail, including members of APLA, MK and even
the SPUs. This would help bring closure to the still unresolved chapter of
reconciliation"

 

Issued by IFP