Donovan Moodley, the man convicted of the 2004 abduction, extortion and murder of university student Leigh Matthews, will remain in prison after Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald today rejected a parole recommendation.
The National Council for Correctional Services (NCCS) advised against releasing Moodley at this stage, overturning a September 2025 decision by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board that had favoured his placement on parole.
In a statement released this afternoon, the Department of Correctional Services said Moodley must now complete further structured rehabilitation programmes, undergo additional psychotherapy, and submit to independent risk assessments before his case can be reviewed again.
The 45-year-old Moodley has served more than 21 years of his life sentence. He was convicted in 2005 on charges of kidnapping, extortion and murder after abducting the 21-year-old University of Johannesburg student from campus, demanding R50 000 from her family, and shooting her execution-style even after the ransom was paid.
The Matthews family strongly opposed the September parole recommendation, describing it as premature and arguing that Moodley had not demonstrated genuine remorse or sufficient rehabilitation.
Moodley had applied for parole earlier in 2025, citing his eligibility under South African law after serving the required portion of his sentence. Previous applications in 2022 and 2023 were also denied.
Minister Groenewald said the decision to refuse parole was taken “in the interests of justice and public safety”.
Leigh’s mother, Sharon Matthews, welcomed the outcome, telling reporters outside Kgosi Mampuru Prison: “Today is a small victory for Leigh. We will keep fighting until he serves the full sentence he was given.”
No new parole application date has been set. Moodley remains incarcerated at Kgosi Mampuru II Maximum Security Prison in Pretoria.