South African Opposition Denounces Favoritism for Zuma

Former South African President Jacob Zuma was released from prison two hours after he was sentenced to 15 months in jail. In this time frame, a program aimed at reducing overcrowding in the country's prisons was enabled.

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The liberal Democratic Alliance party described the measure as a “real joke,” which could mean that former president Zuma is receiving preferential treatment, which also seeks to postpone or eliminate the sentence to which he was sanctioned.

Earlier, his lawyers had requested parole on medical grounds, which was overruled by the competent authorities. Former South African President Jacob Zuma, 81, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court. His entire mandate was plagued by corruption and nepotism, which forced him to leave power in 2018, after only 9 months in office. He has been described as "the Teflon president" for his systematic evasion of judicial proceedings. 

Zuma would thus be one of the first inmates to benefit from this measure, approved by South Africa's current president Cyril Ramaphosa and first made public on Friday.

The prison overcrowding reduction program aims at releasing more than 9,400 inmates from prison and place them under correctional supervision at home.

The 15 months Zuma had to serve in prison was imposed on him after he refused to attend several court summonses to investigate various acts of corruption under his tenure.

During the reading of the sentence, Judge Sisi Khampepe sent a message to all those who seek to evade the legal framework in the country: “I have no choice but to imprison Mr. Zuma, in the hope that in doing, so, I send an unequivocal message: the rule of law and the administration of justice prevail.”

“The fact that Mr. (Jacob) Zuma attempted to justify his defiance through public statements is not relevant. The statements were not formally pleaded and must therefore be disregarded. The Constitutional Court can do nothing other than conclude that Mr. Zuma is guilty of the crime of contempt,” concluded the verdict read out by Constitutional Court Judge Sisi Khampepe. The former president could have been arrested last Wednesday after he had been assigned to the province of Kwazulu-Natal.

Justice Minister Ronald Lamola assured that there had been no interference in the trial of Zuma, who is complying with the decision of the Supreme Court of Appeals.