South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma has been freed at the end of a 15-month sentence following his contempt of court charge conviction last year, the Ministry of Correctional Services announced over the weekend.
“It’s official. President Zuma is now a free man,” his JG Zuma Foundation said.
Zuma was locked up last July after he defied a court when it ordered him to testify at the hearings of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture in Johannesburg.
His refusal led him to being sentenced to the 15-month prison sentence at Estcourt Correctional Centre — a move which triggered two weeks of rioting, looting and burning of businesses which left billions of dollars in damages.
Over 300 people died in the aftermath as police got overwhelmed, forcing President Cyril Ramaphosa to draft in troops to quell the violence.
He was placed on medical parole in September 2021, during which the government was displeased with this move, and took Zuma back to court for a negative ruling on his medical parole.
Zuma was in the process of appealing the ruling on medical parole when his 15-month term expired
In a statement, the ministry said: “Medical parole placement meant that Mr. Zuma was to serve the remainder of his sentence under Kranskop Community Corrections” at home.
“Essentially, Mr Zuma complied with his conditions of medical parole as set out during his placement,” it said.
“All administrative processes have been concluded and the sentence expiry date marks the end of him serving his sentence under community corrections,” the ministry said.
NM/as/APA