Convicted kidnapper and killer Donovan Moodley is not receiving any special treatment, the Department of Correctional Services said on Friday.
On Thursday, Moodley was given a life sentence for the murder of student Leigh Matthews, 15 years for kidnapping her and a further 10 years for extorting money from her parents.
On Friday, he woke up to serve the first day of a minimum of 25 years behind bars at the Johannesburg prison in Diepkloof.
”Moodley has been accepted to the Johannesburg correctional centre as [would be] any other sentenced offender,” spokesperson Manelisi Wolela said.
”The normal processes of admissions, assessment, profiling and a development of a sentence plan for the admitted offender will be carried as usual, before the local management decides on his permanent allocation.”
Wolela said that Moodley’s privacy will be respected.
”[We will] refrain from undue exposure of the new offender.”
Earlier, the asset forfeiture unit said the Toyota Tazz used to keep Matthews prisoner had been returned to the Moodley family.
The most controversial item, the engagement ring Moodley gave his fiancée, Yeshika Singh, was returned to her on the day of the sentencing, hours after she wept for her ex-fiancé.
”The money was paid by Stephen Moodley [Moodley’s father] on Monday,” said Raylene Keightley, head of the Johannesburg asset forfeiture unit.
”The assets have been returned and it won’t be long before the Matthews family receive their money,” she said, referring to a R50 000 ransom the Matthews family paid.
Singh has not said what she plans to do with the ring, given to her in August last year.
Meanwhile, Leigh’s father, Rob Matthews, said on Thursday he will donate the R50 000 to the Leigh Matthews Fund. The fund was established to raise money for the serious and violent crimes unit of the police.
Prosecutor Zaais Van Zyl said that according to law, all three sentences will run concurrently.
Matthews was kidnapped at Bond SA university on July 9 last year and her body was discovered 12 days later in a veld in Walkerville.
Moodley was arrested by Superintendent Piet Byleveldt on October 4 and confessed to the crimes on the first day of his trial last week.
Judge Joop Labuschagne said he was untruthful and showed no remorse. — Sapa