Former president Jacob Zuma has been out of prison for two weeks and according to the Department of Correctional Services, it’s unclear when he will return to Estcourt to serve the rest of his 15-month bid.
Why is Jacob Zuma out of prison?
The 79-year-old was imprisoned in July for failing to adhere to the Constitutional Court’s ruling which would have forced him back to the State Capture Inquiry’s hot seat.
The arrest culminated into a spate of riots that left economic hubs in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Gauteng in ruins, and more than 30 victims killed in what’s been coined the Phoenix massacre.
In the wake of the unrest, Zuma, according to reports, was escorted out of prison to a nearby hospital for what was, at first, termed a routine medical check-up.
However, weeks later, the former president is still out of confinement and based on utterances made by Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo, it’s unclear if he will return to Estcourt prison anytime soon.
Nxumalo revealed that Zuma underwent a surgical procedure on Saturday and according to doctors, he may need a few more examinations.
“As inmates are placed in correctional centres involuntarily, the state has a total and inescapable responsibility and duty to care for them in a manner that does not violate or compromise their constitutional rights, which include access to health care,” Nxumalo said.
ANC, Zuma Foundation react to Msholozi health
The Jacob Zuma Foundation has been on the defence about the former president’s hospitalisation, hitting back at naysayers who’ve cast doubts on the seriousness of his ailments.
In a statement, the foundation lambasted the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and ‘racist right-wing’ groups for scoffing Zuma’s ill health condition as “part of some silly games or so-called ‘Stalingrad’ tactics.”
“The pattern of behaviour of second-guessing medical professionals has a long and ugly history which started in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, where Judge Pillay a Constitutional Court judge who was officiating questioned the medical certificate, simply known as a sick note,” the foundation exclaimed.
On the other hand, the ANC, on Sunday, released a statement calling on South Africans to keep the former president in their prayers.
“The ANC urges its members and the people of South Africa to keep comrade Zuma in their thoughts and prayers during this time, and wish him a speedy recovery,” the party noted.
At this time, the correctional services department is not expecting Zuma back in prison anytime soon.