IFP notes reincarceration and release of former president Zuma
11 August 2023
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) notes that former President Jacob Zuma returned to Estcourt Prison on the morning of 11 August. We further note that he was released on the same morning, under the remission of sentence process, which is a mechanism to deal with overcrowding in prisons.
Former President Zuma is allegedly one of more than 9 000 low-risk prisoners who are to be released.
As the IFP, we appreciate this decision, which tempers justice with mercy. However, this does not take away from the SCA judgment, which held that “the Commissioner’s decision [to grant medical parole] was unlawful and unconstitutional. The high court was correct to set it aside.”
We therefore believe that further investigation of this irregular decision by the then-National Commissioner is needed.