By Danai Nesta KupembaBBC News
getty imagesShould men who murder women have parole privileges?
The question about the early release of prisoners, under certain conditions, has been raised in South Africa following the release on parole of former Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius.
This happened while he was serving half of his sentence for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
Femicide and violence against women are a particular problem in South Africa. According to a study by the University of the Free State, an average of one woman died at the hands of her intimate partner every eight hours in 2020.
In 2019, South Africa was one of the five countries with the highest rates of femicide, according to the united nations,
This is why campaigners believe that exceptions should be made to the country’s general rules of early release for perpetrators of these crimes.
For Michael Van Niekerk, the fact that Pistorius is now out of prison “feels like a kick to the heart”.
He is the founder of Keep the Energy, an organization that raises awareness of violence against women, children and LGBTQ+ people in South Africa.
Mr Van Niekerk firmly believes that those responsible for gender-based violence and murder should not be granted parole.
In addition to the number of women murdered, South Africa also has very high levels of rape – for example, in a three-month period between July and September last year, more than 10,500 incidents were reported to police.
“I’ve seen people get released and commit the same crimes over and over again,” he says.
getty imagesBut Justice Ministry spokesman Crispin Phiri says people have misunderstood the nature of parole.
“It is important to understand that parole does not at all equate to full freedom,” he told the BBC.
The purpose of parole is to rehabilitate criminals and guide them back into society.
Mr Phiri says the argument that criminals should not get parole is “rooted in the misconception that (it) symbolizes absolute freedom – which is certainly not the case”.
Pistorius will be monitored by authorities for five years until his more than 13-year sentence ends in 2029. They must follow certain conditions, for example being confined to home for a certain number of hours each day, as well as restrictions. Drinking alcohol.
They will also have to attend therapy sessions, which will also include programs on gender-based violence.
This is a way of assuring the mother of the woman he murdered. Last year, June Steenkamp said she would be “concerned for the safety of any woman” who came into contact with him following his release.
But these measures do not satisfy everyone.
“There is a lack of thinking or empathy for the victims in this scenario,” says Mbali Phifer Shongwe.
The 24-year-old activist, who works with the Instagram account Girls Against Oppression, is a survivor of gender-based violence, and is frustrated with the country’s parole system.
He believes that no one convicted of murder, rape, aggravated assault, theft, kidnapping, public violence and other serious crimes should receive parole.
“The most basic form of respect would be to suffer the full punishment,” she says.
But there are some who believe that it is true that Pistorius is no longer in jail.
The BBC spoke to several people who supported his early release but chose to remain anonymous for fear of a backlash against them.
A 25-year-old woman believes that Pistorius has paid his penance.
“He has served his time, he has been rehabilitated. He is not a threat to society,” he said. They said that because of his notoriety his life would be difficult, whether he was in jail or not.
June Steenkamp did not oppose the release of her daughter’s murderer. “No matter how much time is given, Reeva will not be brought back. We, who are left behind, are serving a life sentence.”
However, there is a broader issue for many people.
“It feels like women are screaming into the abyss. It feels like our screams are not being heard,” says Palesa Muano Ramurunzi, a 25-year-old law graduate at the University of Cape Town.
She is fed up with the level of violence women face in her country. She believes that prohibiting parole for people convicted of crimes related to gender-based violence “is not meant to undermine other forms of violence but to confront an urgent crisis”.
“Men often have a clear sense of entitlement to women’s bodies,” Ms. Ramurunzi says, her voice thick with frustration.
The ever-present possibility of being killed is a devastating thread connecting many women in South Africa.
Ms Steenkamp’s last Instagram post proved to be a foreshadowing of the tragedy that befell her.
The post condemned the murder of 18-year-old Anne Booysen, who was gang raped, dismembered and dumped at a construction site in the Western Cape in February 2013.
Her caption read: “I woke up this morning to a happy safe home. Not everyone did this. Speak out against the rape of individuals in South Africa. RIP Anne Booysen.”
Ms. Booysen’s murder dominated local and international headlines — until Ms. Steenkamp’s own murder less than two weeks later took over the news cycle.
AFPMara Glennie, founder of Tears, a South African domestic abuse helpline, says femicide is “deeply embedded in institutions and traditions in South Africa”.
“In a country with the highest levels of violence against women in the world, the laws are failing women,” she says.
He argues that even the government has struggled to resolve the issue.
“The government has set up task forces and made promises to the women of this country. And yet, despite decades of promises, femicide and gender-based violence remain widespread,” says Ms Glennie.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed action to address rising levels of femicide in South Africa, calling it an “attack on our humanity”.
The threat of violence looms large in every aspect of women’s lives in the country, with each case giving rise to new fears.
The post office, the park, and one’s own home are places of extreme caution, and are never completely safe.
Ms Shongwe says that even when South African women experience and survive violence, it is never the last time.
“You’re always looking for what’s next,” she says.
