By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the decision to release former president Jacob Zuma, after the department of correctional services (DCS) on Sunday confirmed that Zuma had been placed on medical parole.
“We have received and taken note of the decision by correctional services’ national commissioner to release comrade Zuma from incarceration on medical parole. We welcome this. We’ve heard that he is not well and we’d like to wish him quick recovery as he’s restored back to his home to be with his loved ones,” said Ramaphosa.
In his closing remarks to the ANC national executive committee’s lekgotla, which has been meeting since the weekend, Ramaphosa said they have welcomed the decision.
The department said there was nothing untoward about Zuma’s release.
National Commissioner of Correctional Services Arthur Fraser reported that he had cleared Zuma for medical parole to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, who in turn informed Ramaphosa.
Fraser is appointed by Ramaphosa and reports to him via Lamola. Both men have kept Ramaphosa abreast of Zuma’s medical status after being hospitalised on 15 August while serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court.
“Section 75(7)(a) of the Correctional Services Act affords the national commissioner a responsibility to place under correctional supervision or day parole, or grant parole or medical parole to a sentenced offender serving a sentence of incarceration for 24 months or less. The national commissioner is also in terms of section 52 empowered to prescribe conditions of parole.
Zuma is still in hospital but will be released into the care of his doctors and family. He has served less than two months after being imprisoned on 7 July.
Ramaphosa also empasised the need for additional security measures in light of the high crime rate in the country and the recent unrest and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng following.
He said the party had committed to put in place additional measures to strengthen security and the capacity of law-enforcement agencies.
All of us, indeed all of society, agree with the assertion at this lekgotla by the SACP and Cosatu that society is tired of crime and corruption, and the seeming inability of the state to decisively deal with this scourge. Efforts to strengthen the capacity of law-enforcement agencies and security services continue. Citizens need to be confident that both the police service and state intelligence agencies have the necessary capacity and resources to protect the country,” said Ramaphosa.
While the NPA has made progress in bringing those allegedly responsible for organising, coordinating, and inciting the violence to court, the President said the ANC’s priority was to ensure it never happens again.
Ramaphosa further welcomed the decision by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to reopen its candidate registration process for the 2021 local government elections later this month.
IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini announced on Monday at a media briefing in Centurion, Pretoria, that the candidate registration process will reopen on 20 September after the voter registration weekend.
“We welcome the decision of the IEC to declare the weekend of the 18th and 19th of September as registration weekend. And we agree with the IEC that the inextricable link between voter registration and the right to stand for public office,” said Ramaphosa.