By Zuleikha Ahmed
07:09:2021

The decision to release former president Jacob Zuma, placed on medical parole, has caused an uproar and anger among other party members.

Copes’ Dennis Bloom, a former Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee of the Correctional Service, says that the minister and the correctional services should explain the decision to the nation.

Bloom further stated, “It is totally disgusting that the Correctional Services has made a mockery of our parole system. It is unacceptable, and it is very clear that Zuma has received preferential treatment ever since his incarceration in July.

Bloem says that the minister and the national commissioner should explain Zuma’s medical parole to the country, as several inmates have been denied medical parole.

“The same was seen with Zuma’s co-accused Schabir Shaik who was also released under questionable medical parole. Many people applied for medical parole (who) were critically ill. Some of them even died in prison. This thing of Zuma is clearly preferential treatment that Zuma received from the Correctional Services. We will ask the Minister of Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola or the Commissioner, Arthur Fraser, to come to Parliament and to explain.”

Correctional Service’s spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo earlier said he could not disclose Zuma’s exact condition, but quoted the relevant legislation which allowed for this type of parole.

“It has to be someone who is terminally ill or is physically incapacitated, so it’s an inmate whose daily activity is now limited and unable to afford what we call self-care. Therefore, that person has to be considered for (parole) placement on medical grounds,” Nxumalo said in a television interview.

Nxumalo said the Department had received independent medical reports from its doctors and the South African Defence Force military doctors recommending the parole.

The Jacob Zuma Foundation welcomed the parole decision.

“It just shows that there is some humaneness in the system, but on the other hand, it also indicates the precariousness state of President Zuma’s health,” Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi said.