APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) President Cyril Ramaphosa should consider granting his predecessor Jacob Zuma “a presidential pardon” due to his old age and contribution to South Africa over the years, the country’s traditional leaders have said.
The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) president Chief Lameck Mokoena on Tuesday called upon Ramaphosa to pardon Zuma following the former president’s unsuccessful attempt to block a court decision requiring him to return to prison to serve the remainder of his 15-month sentence after serving only two months.
“We respect the Constitutional Court judgment but Contralesa believes strongly that Zuma deserves some sympathy by our own government for the role that he played in his political life,” Mokoena said.
The Constitutional Court ruled last week that Zuma was improperly released on medical grounds by prison authorities in September 2021 after serving only two months of his sentence for contempt of court.
Mokoena called upon those who hated Zuma “with passion to please give our senior citizen a break.”
The former was at the time of the Constitutional Court ruling last week said to have travelled to Russia for medical treatment.
Acting correctional services commissioner Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale would now have to make a final decision based on the medical parole and other issues concerning Zuma’s state of health.
NM/jn/APA