The Supreme Court Of Appeal Upholds Its Decision

By: Lindelani Mbatha

The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein has upheld the ruling that set aside the decision to grant former President Jacob Zuma’s medical parole.

Zuma and the Correctional Services Department challenged the High Court order which declared his release on medical parole irrational, unlawful and unconstitutional.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) had earlier submitted in the SCA that the former Correctional Services Commissioner, Arthur Fraser, erred in believing that he was entitled to release Zuma on medical parole.

The party insists that Zuma is neither terminally ill nor physically incapacitated to serve time behind bars.

He was handed a 15-month prison sentence by the Constitutional Court in June last year after he defied its order to appear before the State Capture Commission.

Legal expert, Mpumelelo Zikalala says the SCA’s ruling is not clear on the roles between the national Correctional Services commissioner and the Medical Parole Advisory Board.