Phuti Mosomane and Jonathan Paoli
Former President Jacob Zuma was admitted at Escort Correctional facility on Friday morning but shortly released, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola said.
Lamola said that the special remission process was granted by President Cyril Ramaphosa to low-risk offenders in an effort to address overcrowding in prisons and Zuma is a beneficiary and was released after just over an hour in prison. Zuma was sentenced to a 15-month sentence in prison for being in contempt of the Constitutional Court order.
The acting Correctional Services Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale made his decision to admit Zuma back in prison following the Supreme Court finding which revoked a previous decision to grant the former president a parole.
“Former president Jacob Zuma is one of the beneficiaries of this decision as a low-risk offender. This decision will result in the deportation of 3 064 foreign nationals serving short-term sentences under the guidance of the Department of Home Affairs.
“Additionally, it will alleviate overcrowding in correctional centres by releasing approximately 9 488 inmates and a further 15 000 inmates who are currently under correctional supervision and parole,” Lamola said.
The Minister further said that the majority of the beneficiaries of this decision are already serving parole or under correctional supervision in their communities.
DA MP, Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach said the ministry made a ‘big mistake’ after deciding former president Jacob Zuma will not return to prison.
Breytenbach said the department is releasing non-violent offenders just to release one man (Jacob Zuma) and accused the Justice Minister of making a mockery of his department.
However, Lamola denied Zuma was given special treatment saying the issue of overcrowding is a real issue.
“No, former President Jacob Zuma is not getting special treatment as already the department is struggling to cope with overcrowding. There is evidence on paper to show that since April we have been working on releasing low-risk inmates,” he said, adding that anyone can challenge the decision in court.
Thobakgale, last week indicated that a public announcement would be made on whether Zuma would have to go back to jail to serve his 15-month sentence after being released on medical parole.
In addition, the Department of Correctional Services last week said it had received representations from relevant parties on the incarceration term for Zuma, and would make a decision within 10 days, with the deadline expiring on Thursday.
Earlier this year, in July, the Constitutional Court dismissed the Department’s appeal application relating to the former president’s release on parole, in other words, returning the matter back to Thobakgale’s hands.
This follows on Zuma’s medical parole release after serving only two months, in September 2021 by the then National Commissioner, Arthur Fraser, linking to the arrest of Zuma in July of that year, for defying a Con Court order to appear before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into allegations of State Capture.
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