NEWS & ANALYSIS

Vicki Momberg free at last!

K-word using crime victim released from prison after Ramaphosa's special remission announcement

Vicki Momberg's sentence expired after Ramaphosa's special remission announcement, says correctional services

Convicted racist Vicki Momberg was released from prison in Johannesburg on Friday after reaching her sentence expiry date, the Department of Correctional Services has confirmed.

Department spokesperson Logan Maistry said Momberg had qualified for the special remission of sentences that was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on December 16.

Ramaphosa was speaking at the Day of Reconciliation celebrations in Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, and said the move was part of "established international practice" and would grant special remission of sentences to sentenced offenders, probationers and parolees,News24 previously reported.

"The inmate in question was released from custody today after having reached her sentence expiry date following the special remission of sentence announced by President Ramaphosa," Maistry confirmed.

Momberg was re-arrested in November after she was on the run following a warrant of arrest that was issued after she failed to appear in the Randburg Magistrate's Court in August.

She had been unsuccessful in appealing her crimen injuria conviction, News24 reported.

The former real estate agent was found guilty of four counts of crimen injuria after she called a black police officer the k-word 48 times when he came to her aid following a smash-and-grab incident in 2016.

Momberg's release from prison follows that ofKing Buyelekhaya Dalindyeboand #FeesMustFall activistKanya Cekesheearlier this week.

Dalindyebo was jailed for 15 years in December 2015 after being found guilty of, among others, seven charges of kidnapping and three of arson, while Cekeshe was convicted for public violence and malicious damage to property after trying to set a police van alight during protests in 2016.

News24