The former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma (81), has to go back to prison. That is what the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg decided on Thursday, reports news agency Reuters. Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2021 for refusing to cooperate with an investigation into corruption under his presidency. After eight weeks, he was released on parole due to ill health. The Court has now declared that release illegal.
Critics accused Zuma of using his health to get an early release. He was admitted to hospital, but it was not clear what he was being treated for. His initial detention led to widespread protests at the time, in which at least 337 people were killed.
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The Supreme Court of Appeal previously ruled that the release was illegal, but that ruling was challenged by the prison services. According to the Court, the appeal “never had a reasonable chance of success”, so that Zuma, after the ruling of the Constitutional Court, still has to serve his remaining sentence.
Lucrative deals
The former president is suspected of having concluded lucrative deals with friendly business partners during his presidency, between 2009 and 2015. For example, they would have had a say in the appointment of ministers within Zuma’s cabinets. It is also estimated that some 35 billion dollars (29.5 billion euros) in government money have been channeled away. Zuma himself has always denied the allegations.