The Constitutional Court has ruled that Jacob Zuma must return to jail and finish his sentence.
The ConCourt on Thursday dismissed an application by the Department of Correctional Services, which wanted to appeal the ruling that effectively sent former president Jacob Zuma back to prison.
His imprisonment sparked the July 2021 unrest that saw KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng businesses looted and burned, and over 350 mense killed.
The highest court in the land dismissed the main application by the department. It also dismissed the application to intervene, which was made by Zuma’s legal team., reports IOL.
It said both had no prospects of success, effectively sending Zuma back to the mang without giving timelines for when that should happen.
“The Constitutional Court has considered the application for leave to appeal [main application] and the application to intervene,” the ConCourt ruled.
“It has been concluded that the main application should be dismissed as it bears no reasonable prospects of success.
“Consequently, the application to intervene falls to be dismissed.”
Zuma was jailed in July 2021 for refusing to abide by the court’s directive to appear before the Zondo Commission and testify.
However, the then commissioner of Correctional Services, Arthur Fraser, granted him medical parole and freed him in September just three months into his 15-month sentence.
The DA, Helen Suzman Foundation and Afriforum challenged the decision in court and won when it was ruled that Zuma’s release was illegal.
The department said it was still studying the judgement.
“DCS is seeking legal advice and will comment further in due course,” it said in a statement.
Mzwanele Manyi, spokesperson for the Jacob Zuma Foundation, said the right people to comment on the matter are from department since it is the one that made the application.
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