- The Minister of Correctional Services has denied parole to Donovan Stanley Moodley, convicted of the 2004 kidnapping and murder of Leigh Matthews.
- Authorities state Moodley does not yet meet the requirements for safe reintegration into the community and must undergo further interventions.
- His parole profile will only be reconsidered after 24 months, following additional assessments and rehabilitation programmes.
More than 20 years after the murder of university student Leigh Matthews, the man convicted of her kidnapping and killing remains behind bars.
The Department of Correctional Services confirmed on Friday, 19 December 2025, that parole has been refused for Donovan Stanley Moodley, following a formal consideration process under section 78 of the Correctional Services Act 111 of 1998.
Matthews, aged 21 at the time, was abducted from the parking lot of Bond University in Sandton on 9 July 2004, just one day before her planned birthday celebration. Her disappearance triggered a nationwide media frenzy as her family pleaded for her safe return and police worked to trace her movements.
Her father paid a ransom of R50 000 after being contacted by the kidnappers and was able to briefly speak to his daughter on the phone. It was the last time her family heard from her. Her body was discovered in open veld near Walkerville, south of Johannesburg, 12 years later. She had been shot four times.
Minister accepts recommendation
In a media statement issued on 19 December 2025, the department confirmed that Moodley’s parole profile was assessed by the National Council for Correctional Services (NCCS). After reviewing reports and submissions, the Council concluded that parole should not yet be granted.
“The National Council for Correctional Services recommended to the Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Pieter Groenewald, that parole placement not be granted at this stage,” the department said. “The minister concurred with this recommendation.”
Correctional Services stressed that this decision followed “careful consideration of all relevant reports and submissions,” and was not taken lightly, given the seriousness of the offence and the public interest attached to the case.
“As a result of this decision, parole placement has not been granted,” the statement reads. “The offender’s profile will be resubmitted after a period of 24 months for reconsideration by the NCCS and, thereafter, by the Minister.”
Rehabilitation, not timelines, drives parole decisions
The Ministry emphasised that parole is not an automatic entitlement based on time served. Instead, it requires demonstrable rehabilitation and a manageable risk profile.
“Parole consideration is not solely dependent on the completion of programmes or the serving of the minimum required period of incarceration,” Groenewald said in the statement. “Statutory structures thoroughly assess all available information, including professional reports and risk assessments, before making any recommendation.”
During the next two years, Moodley will be required to participate in “structured correctional programmes, psychotherapy sessions, and assessments by independent, non-treating specialists.” These evaluations, the Department said, will be used to “determine the offender’s risk profile and measure progress in rehabilitation.”
The Minister warned that offenders are only returned to society once authorities are satisfied that the risk posed to the community is acceptable. “The placement of offenders back into the community must satisfy all structures involved in the parole consideration process, confirming that rehabilitation has been achieved and that any risk posed to the community is manageable,” the statement reads.
“Where this threshold is not met, recommendations are made for further interventions to strengthen the rehabilitation process.”
A life sentence rooted in a guilty plea
Moodley was arrested in October 2004 after veteran detective Piet Byleveld identified him as the prime suspect. Although he attended the same university as Matthews, the two were not acquainted. In July 2005, Moodley pleaded guilty to murder, kidnapping, and extortion in the Johannesburg High Court.
Judge Joop Labuschagne found him guilty on all counts and sentenced him to life imprisonment for murder, alongside additional sentences for kidnapping and extortion. In delivering the sentence, the court found that Moodley had not acted entirely alone, a finding that deepened public unease about unanswered questions surrounding the crime. Moodley has been serving his life sentence since August 2005.
Community safety remains central
The department stated that where parole is refused, offender files are returned to correctional management with explicit instructions. “Offender files are returned to the relevant Management Areas with clear directives on the required interventions and the prescribed timeframe before the parole profile may be resubmitted,” the statement said.
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