African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa says his predecessor Jacob Zuma’s release from prison was part of general remission aimed at alleviating overcrowding in correctional facilities.
In 2021, the Constitutional Court sentenced Zuma to a 15-month jail term for contempt of court after he refused to continue to testify before the Zondo Commission.
Zuma was released on medical parole after serving less than two months of his sentence.
Ramaphosa says he does not regret including Zuma in the remission programme.
Ramaphosa was speaking while on a campaign trail in Cosmo City in Johannesburg yesterday.
“When I took the decision, it was not specifically aimed at former President Jacob Zuma, it was a broad decision that affected many other people who needed a remission. So I don’t regret that decision and what is happening with the IEC case is what happens in politics, in state governance issues and we handle it as we move on,” says Ramaphosa.
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Reporting by Zara Groenewald
