South Africa’s ex-leader Jacob Zuma freed as thousands released
- President Cyril Ramaphosa granted clemency to many non-violent offenders, including his 81-year-old predecessor, who was convicted of contempt of court
- Zuma’s incarceration in 2021 triggered the worst riots in South Africa since the end of white-minority rule, leaving 354 people dead
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa granted clemency to thousands of non-violent offenders, including his predecessor Jacob Zuma who was convicted of contempt of court.
Zuma, 81, was readmitted to a prison in Estcourt in eastern South Africa early Friday morning, and freed after less that two hours once administrative processes had been completed, Makgothi Thobakgale, the national commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, told reporters in Pretoria, the capital.
Zuma’s incarceration in 2021 triggered the worst riots in South Africa since the end of White-minority rule, leaving 354 people dead and thousands of business destroyed.
South Africa’s top court sentenced Zuma to 15 months in prison that year for failing to appear before a probe into allegations of corruption during his tenure, but he served less than two months behind bars before he was released on medical parole.
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The main opposition Democratic Alliance said the decision to release Zuma raises questions about the equality of governing African National Congress politicians and other citizens before the law, and that it is considering legal action to challenge it.