Court ruling on Zuma confirms that medical parole was just a ploy

15 December 2021

Today's High Court ruling ordering former President Jacob Zuma to return to prison is a victory for justice and serves to confirm suspicions that Zuma's medical parole was no more than a ploy to get him out of jail.

The fact that the High Court in Pretoria ruled the medical parole that was granted to Zuma on the 5th of September as being "unlawful" truly speaks volumes about the situation.

It means that Arthur Fraser, former national Commissioner of Correctional Services, who decided to place Zuma on medical parole acted unlawfully and must be held accountable.

This legal process has serious cost implications and the FF Plus is of the opinion that Fraser must foot the bill.

The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, cannot keep shrugging his shoulders about the matter either.

According to media reports, Minister Lamola said that he is "distancing" himself from the decision regarding Zuma’s medical parole seeing as it was Fraser who granted the parole and not him.

According to an article in Independent Media, the Minister, furthermore, said that he will take action against Fraser if he "acted wrongfully" in deciding to grant Zuma parole. And now the Minister must do so.

The FF Plus will not allow the Minister to shirk his responsibilities so easily. Many questions about Zuma's health were raised and the decision to place him on medical parole was widely challenged.

While this was the case, Lamola decided to look the other way. It is clear that he was favouring Zuma with his inaction and he is, thus, complicit in conduct that a court has now declared unlawful.

The wheels of justice turn slowly, at times seemingly too slowly, but the ruling does send the message that justice will ultimately prevail.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 15 December 2021