‘Victory for the rule of law’: Will Jacob Zuma hand himself over?

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says its lawyers are currently drafting a letter which they will submit to former president Jacob Zuma calling for him to voluntarily surrender himself to arrest within a reasonable timeframe.

This comes as the Constitutional Court dismissed Zuma’s application for leave to appeal the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judgement confirming that a decision by former National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Arthur Fraser’s decision to place him on medical parole was unlawful and set aside.

DA WANTS JACOB ZUMA TO HAND HIMSELF OVER

Former President Jacob Zuma was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment in June 2021, after he failed to appear before the Zondo Commission on state capture during his presidency.

Zuma began serving his sentence at the end of July 2021, but was released on medical parole on 5 September 2021. The then National Commissioner for Correctional Services, Arthur Fraser, approved the medical parole even though the medical parole board found that Zuma did not qualify for medical parole.

AfriForum obtained a High Court ruling in December 2021 that Zuma’s medical parole was granted illegally and that the time Zuma spent outside prison cannot be deducted from his sentence. Zuma took the case on appeal.

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DA leader, John Steenhuisen said this judgement confirms that Zuma belongs in jail, and that his vexatious litigation was a last desperate attempt to evade justice.

Steenhuisen said should Zuma fail to adhere to this request, they will write to the National Commissioner for Correctional Services, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale calling for him to arrest Zuma, and return him to Estcourt Correctional Centre.

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“If either of these parties fail to comply, they will be in contempt of court. We call on Mr Thobakgale to act constitutionally, lawfully, and in a manner expected of him as National  Commissioner for Correctional Services and to act in line with his constitutionally-prescribed duty of office,” Steenhuisen said.

Furthermore, Steenhuisen said should Thobakgale act irregularly or illegally or seek to delay the enactment of the Constitutional Court’s judgement, they will not hesitate to take further action to ensure that the latest judgement is upheld.