In Summary
Former South African President Jacob Zuma, whose arrest sparked riots and looting from supporters, has been ordered to return to prison following medical release.Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been ordered to return to prison after being granted medical parole in September, per CNN.
Zuma is presently serving a 15-month contempt of court term after claims he disobeyed court orders to engage in a corruption investigation, a verdict his legal team is appealing.
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The origin of his ailment is unknown, but according to the BBC, he had been in the hospital for about a month and had already undergone surgery when he was given medical parole.
“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,” South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services said at the time, as reported by BNC.
The former president, who served from 2009 to 2018, began his prison sentence in July.
According to JGZuma Foundation’s official Twitter account, “The judgment is clearly wrong & there are strong prospects that a higher court will come to a totally different conclusion.”
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Zuma is also facing a separate corruption trial stemming from his dismissal as vice president in 2005, when he was accused of corruption, racketeering, and money laundering in connection with a $2 billion government arms sale, per CNN. He denies any wrongdoing.