SA former President Jacob Zuma placed on medical parole

South Africa’s jailed former president Jacob Zuma has been placed on medical parole because of his ill health, the government’s correctional services department said on Sunday.

“Section 75(7)(a) of the Correctional Services Act 111 of 1998, affords the National Commissioner a responsibility to place under correctional supervision or day parole, or grant parole or medical parole to a sentenced offender serving a sentence of incarceration for 24 months or less. The National Commissioner is also in terms of Section 52, empowered to prescribe conditions of parole,” reads the statement in part.

Zuma is serving a 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court after ignoring a Constitutional Court to appear before the State Capture Commission.

He was admitted to hospital soon after his incarceration on 8 July.

The statement further says the medical parole’s eligibility for the former president “is impelled by a medical report received by the Department of Correctional Services. Apart from being terminally ill and physically incapacitated, inmates suffering from an illness that severely limits their daily activity or self-care can also be considered for medical parole.”

The former president will be expected to abide by some of the conditions during his parole.

“Medical parole placement for Mr Zuma means that he will complete the remainder of the sentence in the system of community corrections, whereby he must comply with specific set of conditions and will be subjected to supervision until his sentence expires

The Jacob Zuma Foundation, Mzwanele Manyi says Zuma’s legal team is currently studying the conditions of the parole.