/ 15 December 2011

Two of Waterkloof Four under house arrest

Two Of Waterkloof Four Under House Arrest

The correctional services department has at last confirmed that two of the Waterkloof Four were released under house arrest on Thursday afternoon.

There had been conflicting reports earlier on whether the men had in fact been granted parole.

Gert van Schalkwyk and Reinach Tiedt were released under strict conditions, Gauteng spokesperson Simphiwe Kondleka said.

“The pair will have to inform correctional services before leaving their home and they have been ordered to do 15 hours of community service a month.”

The pair would only be allowed to do this between 8am and 4pm. They are not allowed to consume alcohol during their house arrest.

Earlier, Kondleka denied the two had been released on parole, saying they had submitted applications to correctional services but no decision had been made as yet.

Tiedt and Van Schalkwyk were among a group of four boys convicted of killing a homeless man and assaulting another at a park in Pretoria in 2001. They were each sentenced to 12 years in jail.

All four maintained their innocence throughout their trial and an unsuccessful high court appeal.

They began serving their sentence at Pretoria Central Prison in August 2008.

Van Schalkwyk’s stepfather Jimmy Stonehouse said he was not aware if the other two, Christoff Bekker and Frikkie du Preez, would also be placed under house arrest.

“They are being kept in a separate prison, so I don’t know what the situation with them is.”