Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging leader Eugene Terre’Blanche’s urgent application to have his six-year prison sentence changed to correctional supervision will be heard in the Pretoria High Court
on Friday, his lawyer said.
Lawyer Gerrie Basson said the urgent application was filed on Wednesday. He said he would meet the judge in chambers on Thursday and the application would then be heard on Friday.
Terre’Blanche is serving a six-year sentence at the Rooigrond prison in Mafikeng in the North West for the attempted murder of security guard Paul Motshabi. Motshabi is permanently disabled after sustaining brain damage when he was assaulted by Terre’Blanche.
Terre’Blanche’s appeal against his conviction and sentence was overturned in March last year by the Bloemfontein Appeals Court. He handed himself over at the Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court soon afterwards to start serving his prison term.
A year earlier he was also in prison serving a one-year sentence for assault after he put his dog on a petrol attendant, who was severely bitten during the incident. After serving six months, Terre’Blanche was released on parole pending the outcome of his appeal.
Basson said his client has been eligible to have his sentence converted to correctional supervision since November last year, but prison authorities refused to discuss it with him.
”Correctional Services is interpreting the legislation pertaining to correctional supervision incorrectly,” Basson said.
”There is a lot of antagonism towards (Mr) Terre’Blanche on the grounds of his political views and background.
”It is so bad that officials of Correctional Services don’t even want to discuss the possibility of correctional supervision with me.”
He said the same happened two years ago, when Terre’Blanche had to apply to the High Court to be released on parole.
”It is a pity that some citizens are treated this way.”
Basson said that if the application was successful, Terre’Blanche could ”go home” within weeks.
”One of our arguments is that he can’t be rehabilitated any further in prison. There is a lot of antagonism towards him in the prison as well and people mock him a lot.”
He said Terre’Blanche was very positive and was ”very strong within himself”.
”He is sorry about his past actions and what had happened. He has found solace in his religion and is writing poetry again.”
North West Correctional Services representative Sarie Peens said the department had not yet officially been informed of the court action by Terre’Blanche.
”No official documents have yet been served on us,” she said. ”I read about the court action in the newspapers.”
Peens denied claims that there were antagonism against Terre’Blanche.
”He is being treated the same as other prisoners. He gets the same food, medical treatment, he works on the farm with other prisoners — we don’t make any distinction between him and other prisoners.”
She said Terre’Blanche’s lawyer had applied to the department to have his sentence converted to correctional supervision.
”The request was denied, but his lawyer never asked us for reasons.”
She said the request could have been denied for various reasons.
”These will be given in court if we have to appear.” – Sapa