Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says the new programme to reduce overcrowding in jails signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa wasn’t for any specific individuals.
He’s been reacting to the DA and other opposition parties who claim that former President Jacob Zuma was released under false pretenses labelled as “special remission”.
Magwenya has been speaking on the side-lines of the Presidential Imbizo in the Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape.
“The President signed a remission for a number of prisoners, it wasn’t specific to one particular individual, so it just happened that Zuma formed part of that process as it was decided by the Department of Correctional Services. The Department of Correctional Services did clarify that there’s a shortage of beds. You have a high percentage of overcrowding in prisons which leads to all sorts of other problems in prisons even a rise of gangsterism etc. Therefore, they embarked on this process for all non-violent offenders.”
Reporter Natasha Phiri spoke to Magwenya:
