CNN —South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma was returned to prison on Friday to comply with a ruling that his release on ill health was unlawful – but was freed after just an hour under a remission process to address overcrowding in jail.
In September 2021 the government’s correctional services department said Zuma, then 79, had been released from prison on medical parole due to ill health.
The department announced that Zuma had been released from prison in October 2022.
But South Africa’s Court of Appeal ruled in November that Zuma should return to prison, saying the decision to release him on medical parole was unlawful.
To comply with the ruling, Zuma returned to prison on Friday, but benefited from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s policy of granting remission to nonviolent offenders in South Africa, in order to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
Persons:
Jacob Zuma, “, Makgothi Thobakgale, Zuma, Cyril Ramaphosa’s, Ronald Lamola, ”
Organizations:
CNN, Correctional Services, ” Correctional
Locations:
South Africa, Africa’s