A South African court on Tuesday granted leave to former president Jacob Zuma to appeal a ruling that ordered him to return to prison after being released in September on medical parole, reported ABC News.
The 79-year-old Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison in June for contempt of the Constitutional court after ignoring orders to present before a corruption inquiry commission probing allegations of corruption during his presidential tenure from 2009 to 2018.
The Zondo commission, which is investigating “state capture” during Zuma’s tenure, claimed that Zuma allowed businessmen close to him to influence policy and get lucrative government contracts. The former South African president has repeatedly claimed that he was innocent and that the justice system was hounding him for political motives.
Zuma surrendered to the police authorities on July 7, triggering some of the worst violence the country had witnessed in years. The protests turned into chaotic violent clashes soon. The protesters burned down trucks, and looted shops and warehouses. Over 300 people lost their lives and hundreds of them got injured during the protests.
After two months of serving his jail sentence, Zuma was granted a medical parole in September by former correctional services commissioner Arthur Fraser against the recommendation of the parole board. However, on Dec. 15, the High Court in Pretoria found that the decision to release him was unlawful and ordered him to return to jail to serve out the remainder of his term.
The South African High Court judge Elias Matojane said Zuma’s ill health and age should be taken into consideration.
“His illness and advanced age needs compassion, empathy and humaneness,” judge Matojane said. “In my view another court may take this into consideration and find differently. For this reason, leave to appeal is granted to the Supreme Court of Appeal.”
