Former President Jacob Zuma of South Africa has been granted a remission status, which exempts him from serving further time in prison. Remission status is typically granted to low-risk and non-violent offenders.
President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered the release of thousands of non-violent offenders, including Zuma, after he was briefly re-incarcerated.
Makgothi Thobakgale, the national commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, told reporters in Pretoria, the capital that the nation’s prison authority freed former President Zuma after he was re-incarcerated for less than two hours on Friday. He said Zuma, 81, was “admitted” to a prison in Estcourt in eastern South Africa early in the morning, and then freed after he was “subjected to administrative processes,”
The decision follows a constitutional court ruling that overturned Zuma’s release on medical parole, which had initially led to widespread protests and violence in the country.
In 2021, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment for defying a court order to appear before the Zondo Commission which was investigating him over corruption allegedly committed during his nine-year tenure as president. His initial arrest two years ago led to violent protests across South Africa that saw over 300 people killed.
He then handed himself over to authorities in July 2021 but was released on medical parole due to ill health two months later. He denies corruption allegations.