Rashied Staggie's family and businessman Kenny Kunene were there to welcome the ex-gang boss as he was released.
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Cape Town - Former Hard Livings gang leader Rashied Staggie was released on day parole from Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town on Monday morning.
His wife, three daughters and son gathered at the prison to welcome him before he was taken away in a black correctional services car around 9.15am.
Businessman Kenny Kunene, dressed in a purple suit, also offered his support.
The convoy made its way to the family's brightly-coloured home in Salt River, a 15-minute drive away, where a media contingent gathered on the pavement.
Kunene, former convict Gayton McKenzie and Ivan Waldeck, chairman of the Western Cape Community Outreach Project, were seen chatting behind the black trellis gate on the porch of the home.
Two correctional services officials, donning bullet-proof vests and sunglasses, clutched their service pistols and kept a close eye on the home.
Staggie exited the home around 10.30am and hopped back into the correctional services car.
Kunene and others led the convoy in a silver Mercedes.
The family refused to divulge where Staggie was headed.
Staggie served 11 years of a 15-year sentence for kidnapping and ordering the rape of a teenager, at the Brandvlei Correctional Centre.
He was recently transferred to Pollsmoor Prison.
He would have to return to the prison at night until his release on full parole on March 25 next year.
Correctional Services Chief Deputy Commissioner James Smallberger told the SABC that Staggie was meeting with his family on Monday as part of an orientation process.
Smallberger said he would be allowed to see his family on Sundays and was not allowed to visit certain areas.
He was also prohibited from speaking to the media.
His movements would reportedly be monitored by an electronic tracking device.
Western Cape correctional services spokesman Simphiwe Xako said in May that the parole board considered a number of facts of relevance to the case before making their finding.
These included that Staggie had positive support systems and had demonstrated his good behaviour, having had no disciplinary offences.
Staggie had completed a number of required programs and had served more than two-thirds of his sentence.
The board also took into account that Staggie's accomplices had already been released.
The parole board's recommendation was that Staggie be subjected to “normal strict parole conditions under high risk supervision”, including electronic monitoring.
His parole was conditional on him not contacting victims of his crimes. - Sapa