Former South African President Jacob Zuma, imprisoned since July 8 for contempt of justice, has been granted parole on medical grounds, South African prison authorities announced on Sunday (September 5th).
Mr. Zuma, 79, has been hospitalized – for undisclosed reasons – since August 6 outside prison where he is serving a fifteen-month prison sentence for stubbornly refusing to appear before a corruption commission State under his presidency (2009-2018).
“The Department of Prison Services (DCS) is able to confirm that Mr. Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma has been released on medical parole”, according to a statement.
Resumption of trial postponed to September 9
Mr. Zuma will be able to return home when he is released from the hospital, a prison official told Agence France-Presse (AFP). This parole takes effect Sunday and the former president will serve the remainder of his sentence outside prison, but may have to perform community service upon his release from hospital.
“Mr. Zuma’s release on medical parole means that he will serve the remainder of his sentence in the community prison system, where he will have to meet a number of conditions and will be under supervision until the end of his sentence. his sentence “, continues the DCS in its press release.
This conditional release measure was imposed “By a medical report” received by the prison services, according to the press release. Mr. Zuma was operated on on August 14 and remains in hospital immediately.
The resumption of the trial, which began in May, for corruption of Mr. Zuma, linked to an arms contract signed more than twenty years ago, while he was vice-president, has been postponed until Thursday, September 9.