Cape Town – Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has said that he was fully aware of the details around former president Jacob Zuma’s medical parole, and that the courts will have to decide whether it was proper for the parole to be granted.
Lamola, who spoke to the television broadcast channel eNCA‘s Thula Sizwe Simelane, said he would not dwell on what the parole board and doctors recommended, as the matter was before the courts.
“The awarding and granting of medical parole is in the hands of the national commissioner who has the authority to do it, whether it was done wrong or rightly I think we’ll have to leave that for the courts to decide… but the act does give power to the national commissioner and act does give authority to myself to deal with matters of inmates that have been sentenced to life,” he said.
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Zuma was granted parole by the department of correctional services in early September – just weeks after he was incarcerated for 15 months for ignoring a court order to testify before a judicial panel probing corruption during his nine-year tenure which lasted until 2018.
His parole has been challenged by a number of parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA).
They are demanding an explanation from correctional services boss Arthur Fraser on the reasons behind his decision to place Zuma on medical parole.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
