Mr Speaker, Mr Nurshad Davids was convicted in 2006 for his part in the murders of Brett Goldin and Richard Bloom and was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. He has now applied for parole after serving a mere five years and five months of the sentence and will appear before the Drakenstein Parole Board on 16 November.
The DA accepts that parole boards are independent bodies which make their decisions on the seriousness of the offence and the degree to which offenders have been rehabilitated. But we want to express our outrage that this application for parole was even lodged. The brutal execution-style murders of Goldin and Bloom devastated not only their family and friends, but also shocked the international theatre community and grievously damaged South Africa's reputation. Quite frankly, the sentence handed down on Mr Davids was inappropriately lenient, given the nature of the crime for which he was convicted.
Under the circumstances, it is equally shocking that this offender has applied for parole. We hope that Parliament will unite in recommending that the parole board reject Mr Davids' application for parole until he has served a longer term of imprisonment. Granting parole to this offender at this stage would send an entirely inappropriate message. It would signify that we do not regard cold-blooded murder as an offence for which a long period of imprisonment is the only fitting punishment. South Africans need to feel safe in their homes and on the streets. They need to know that criminals will be caught and punished. For all these reasons, parole should be refused in this case. I thank you. [Applause.]