Police Minister Bheki Cele says the release of former President Jacob Zuma on remission is within he South African law.
This follows criticism by some opposition parties and ordinary South Africans who say its unlawful and the timing is questionable.
The Department of Correctional Services says this is part of their programme which will also benefits at least 9 000 other prisoners who are jailed for non-violent crimes.
Cele says he believes there’s nothing suspicious about a decision to make the former President a beneficiary of the latest remissions.
“This is a third batch administered the first one was in 2018 where 14 000 people were released during COVID in 2019. So, this is 9 000, so long as it’s done within the law but also the security cluster is informed. But the bottom line as we are told and we agree is that those who are no violent, though some of them they do come back or give problem again but things are done within the law.”
