Seven of the 24 prisoners whose applications for medical parole were turned down, had subsequently died, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported on
Monday.
Ngconde Balfour, the Minister of Correctional Services, did not elaborate on the causes of their death, the broadcaster said.
It quoted Balfour as saying that any prisoner diagnosed by a doctor as being in the final phase of any terminal disease would be considered for parole.
It was up to the doctor to recommend a possible release on medical grounds.
Seventy-five applications for parole on the grounds of ill-health had been granted.
The minister was responding to a written Parliamentary question from James Selfe, a Democratic Alliance member of Parliament.
Meanwhile, in response to another question, Balfour said 738 members of his department had been suspended on full pay in the 2005/06 financial year, costing the taxpayer over R34-million. – Sapa