Zuma ’relieved to be free again’

DURBAN - Former president Jacob Zuma is expected to address his supporters on Monday as a “free man” following the end of his 15-month imprisonment. The Department of Correctional Services confirmed Zuma’s release on Friday.

The Constitutional Court had sentenced Zuma to 15 months in prison in June last year for contempt of court when he had refused to appear before the Zondo Commission on State Capture over allegations of corruption during his presidency. Zuma handed himself over to the Estcourt Correctional Centre on July 8 and was released on medical parole on September 5 last year.

Mzwanele Manyi, spokesperson for the Jacob Zuma Foundation, said Zuma would make his first public appearance as a “free man” on Monday when he returned to the Pietermaritzburg High Court. The case is related to charges brought by Zuma against senior prosecutor Billy Downer, who he alleged leaked his confidential medical records to a News24 journalist, Karyn Maughan.

Manyi said the foundation would on Sunday plot Zuma’s way forward.

Asked whether the former president would be addressing his supporters, Manyi said, “Even though we haven’t put it on our agenda, it is still to be discussed later on Sunday, how and where the official address will take place. At the moment we have given him (Zuma) some space to celebrate his freedom with his family.”

Reacting to the end of his sentence, Zuma said he was relieved to be free again.

“It is a day of mixed emotions. I am relieved to be free again to walk around and do whatever I want to do without restrictions and having to seek permission, in the same manner that I felt in 1973 when I was released from Robben Island.

“Only this time, I am also filled with sadness. It was the first time ever that the Constitutional Court sentenced any person to a term of imprisonment and without even the benefit of a trial. I never expected this to happen during the freedom and democracy we fought so hard to attain,” said Zuma.

Radical economic transformation (RET) champion Nkosentsha Shezi welcomed the return of Zuma to the public sphere. Shezi said he hoped Zuma’s return to the public space would assist in building a stronger ANC that cared for the poor.

“We welcome the return of president Zuma and hope his return is going to assist the ANC as it is going through one of the most difficult tasks the organisation has to go through every five years, to elect a new leadership,” he said.

ANC KZN provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo said a meeting with the former president in August had been a reminder to the public that Zuma was elected to strengthen the ANC.

“As the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal we reiterate our commitment towards supporting Zuma as our leader and a father to all of us. Our support will not only be in words but in practice,” he said.

Meanwhile, Reiner Duvenage, campaign officer for strategy and content at AfriForum, which is challenging the lawfulness of Zuma having been granted medical parole, said the organisation believed the court would rule in AfriForum’s favour.

“It is unacceptable that Zuma received preferential treatment because of his prominence as a political figure. When ANC high-ranking officials are not held accountable for their actions, it sets an extremely dangerous precedent and leads to serious abuses of power. Slippery politicians can no longer be allowed to pull strings behind the scenes and thus bypass the legal system,” said Duvenage.

A legal expert, advocate Mpumelelo Zikalala, said the court would have to take into consideration the rightfulness or wrongfulness of the former president’s medical parole and whether to send him back to prison, should AfriForum’s appeal be upheld.

“In this case, the court will have to deal with the person who had released Zuma (which is Arthur Fraser). Zuma has served his term and is free. On appeal, the court will then look at who was responsible/gave authority for Zuma’s release and also consider the repercussions. It might also depend on AfriForum’s appeal outcome relief,” he said.

Singabakho Nxumalo, spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services, said all administrative processes had been concluded and Zuma’s sentence expiry date, October 7, marked the end of his community correction term.