South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma has been granted compassionate leave to attend his younger brother Michael Zuma’s funeral being held in KwaZulu Natal Province on Thursday, the Ministry of Correctional Services has said.
Zuma will attend the burial of Michael who died earlier this month after a reportedly long illness, a family member said.
“The permission granted to Mr. Zuma is for 22 July 2021,” the ministry said, adding that when a prisoner is outside a correctional facility need not wear offender uniform.
The ministry added: “As a short-term and low risk classified inmate, Mr. Zuma’s application for compassionate leave was processed and approved following the Correctional Services prescripts.”
The ministry said “an offender who was granted permission to leave a correctional centre remained a sentenced offender even while temporarily outside its prisons,” it added.
Zuma is currently serving a 15-month sentence at the Estcourt Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
The former statesman, aged 79, was sentenced on 29 June for defying an instruction from the Constitutional Court to give evidence at an inquiry into corruption during his nine years in power.
NM/as/APA