justice
South Africa’s ex-president Zuma should go back to prison
South Africa’s ex-president Jacob Zuma has been accused of corruption. photo
© Themba Hadebe/AP/dpa
South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma was sentenced to prison in 2021. Soon after, he was fired for alleged health problems – but wrongly.
South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma is expected to go back to prison. The Constitutional Court in Johannesburg upheld a decision by the Supreme Court of Appeals against the 81-year-old, which last year declared his early release on health grounds to be unlawful.
The prison authorities had appealed this verdict. However, the Constitutional Court dismissed the application due to the lack of prospects of success. Zuma was president from 2009 to 2018.
The former head of state and leader of the African National Congress (ANC) was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2021 after refusing to testify before a committee charged with investigating corruption and nepotism during his tenure.
After less than eight weeks, he was released because of alleged health problems. The then chief of the corrections department, Arthur Fraser – a close confidante of Zuma – had ordered it. Previously, the relevant parole board had not recommended this.