Taliep Petersen’s family is furious after they learned through a video posted on social media the man who murdered him had been released on parole.
CAPE TOWN – The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has mad a spectacular U-turn and confirmed that Abdoer Raasiet Emjedi, the man who murdered Taliep Petersen, has been freed on parole after 11 years of a 24-year sentence behind bars.
DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo, who had earlier denied that Emjedi had been released on parole, changed tack on Tuesday and confirmed to Independent Media that he was released on November 11.
“It’s confirmed, he was placed on parole on November 11. We are checking on the system why was it not updated,” he said.
Asked why he had been released 11 years into his 24-year sentence, Nxumalo said the department was still gathering the facts around the matter.
“We are gathering the details, including his profile and parole board’s remarks,” said Nxumalo.
Taliep, 56, was shot dead in his Athlone home on December 16, 2006, in a robbery that turned out to be a hit orchestrated by his wife Najwa Dirk, 59.
Petersen’s family was angered on Monday when a video showing the music legend’s killer being released from prison started doing the rounds on social media.
The video shows an older looking Emjedi walking out of a SAPS building in Krugersdorp.
In spite of many people positively identifying Emjedi in the video, the Department of Correctional Services at first denied that Emjedi had been released on parole.
Dirk and Emjedi, who recruited hitman Waheed Hassen, were found guilty of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances and she was sentenced to 28 years in prison in February 2009.
Dirk is still serving her sentence at Pollsmoor Prison.
The video shows the grey-haired man wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans, greeted by three women outside SA Eagle House in Krugersdorp, as two men walk beside him.
The DFA’s sister newspaper the Daily Voice spoke to the first wife and mother of Taliep’s children shortly after the video went viral.
Madeegha Anders, 59, said: “The justice system really fails us, so this sends out a message that it’s OK to kill another person and serve a shorter time than what was given in the sentencing.
“What is our country coming to? He only served 11 years out of 24 years.
“We knew this would happen one day but never expected it to be so soon.”
Anders says she knew it was Emjedi when she watched the video and added that her daughter, A’eesha Petersen, had a premonition a day before the release.
A’eesha posted a video of her father on Monday with the caption: “Have you ever experienced pain where you’re on your muslah BEGGING Allah to have mercy on you? To ease what feels like a literal pain in your heart?
“May Allah grant all deceased the highest place in Jannah Insha Allah Ameen.
“Can you tell that I’m REALLY missing my dad today?” (sic)
A’eesha said: “This is not the first time I had a premonition. My dad basically warned me yesterday that something is going to have our stomachs churning today. It disturbed me so much that all I could do was cry and ask God for contentment.”
She says her previous premonition happened shortly before the accused were arrested.
“My dad always gives me the heads up when something is to happen. The same way he did before his murderers’ arrests.
“My dad explained his murder to me from beginning to end, but he doesn’t know who pulled the trigger. At the time, the case and its new findings during the investigation were so air-tightly sealed that there was no way anyone could know what happened.
“I woke up so shaken and immediately told [sister] Jawaahier and she asked me to call uncle Saan and he told me to call the cops and let them know, which I did.
“They then asked me that anything my dad comes to tell me in my dreams, I need to let them know.
“It might seem crazy but I think it’s just a gift that I’ve been blessed with to communicate with those that have passed on.
“This pain is something I won’t even wish upon my dad’s murderers because nobody deserves this type of pain.”
Youngest daughter Fatiema Petersen, 27, said: “That man watched my father bleed to death, so now I’m supposed to walk in a mall and worry that I will see my father’s killer pass me?
“I’m not OK, it’s an eina, it’s a big eina.”
Son Ashur Petersen said: “It is what it is.”
